


Without Trace

by aryawaterrs (Aryawaterrs)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-04
Updated: 2013-07-22
Packaged: 2017-12-04 07:31:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 40,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/708153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aryawaterrs/pseuds/aryawaterrs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert Baratheon, dead. And now people are chasing the Starks - chasing Arya. Sansa tells her to run, so she does with only one thought in her mind - to run to the person she feels safest with, because she knows he'll protect her for as long as she needs him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arya

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick note to say that this story is going to be very centered around Arya & Gendry's relationship, rather than the actual story line itself, if that makes sense :-)

One moment Robert Baratheon stood tall and proud, presenting his son, Joffrey to the masses of people. The next, he lay on the floor. Dead. The blood had not one moment to begin to pool around his head, before the crowds began to swirl and dash in all directions around Arya. They had heard the gunshot before the target had been hit.

But Arya could not move. She stood, nearer the front of the room, her eyes glued on the scene that unfolded before her. Cersei Lannister, still managing to maintain her beauty, as she dragged her son, Joffrey away from the scene. Her brother, Jaime Lannister, appearing all too calm as he watched the crowd try to run.

No one tended to the dead man. No one thought to question anything. They only sought to save themselves.

Her family, who had only a few moments previously, been stood around her in a tight huddle, were now dispersed around the room. A quick glance to the left of her, and she saw Bran and Rickon, her younger brothers, being ushered away by their mother. Another glance to the right, and she could see Robb stood beside her father, ready to take up arms against the attacker, if needs be. Theon, her adoptive brother, was nowhere to be seen.

But Arya. No one had noticed Arya. It was as if, amongst all the chaos, she had disappeared out of plain sight.

Until she felt a cold hand clasp her wrist. Arya's head snapped around to the person who held her captive, her heart beating in her ears.

But it was alright. It was Sansa, her older sister. The only one who had noticed her lack of escape plan.

"Arya, what are you doing?" The girl half-screamed, her voice hysteric, "Get out!"

Arya found herself wordless. Her throat was thick. All coherent thoughts failed her. Sansa, always being quicker to notice things than others, gave Arya a pitied look. Her expression almost looked out of place given the current situation.

Sansa slid her hand down Arya's wrist, and grasped her hand tightly. She entwined her fingers in Arya's, her grip almost painful. "This way," She said, and with that, Arya was dragged away from the corpse that lay on the centre of the stage.

Sansa knew where she was going better than Arya. She, after all, had lived in the Red Keep semi-permanently after her engagement to Joffrey. Tonight was supposed to be their engagement party. It seems, someone had thought fit to destroy that.

The two Stark girls fled from the room, and the crowds diffused the further they got from the scene. Arya had no idea where she was being led by her sister. The only thoughts she had were running through her mind on repeat; He's dead, he's dead, he's dead!

Arya had never spoken more than a few words to Robert Baratheon, but she had known the man since childhood. Her mind was numb. The shock of the event still fresh in her veins. It crawled through her, freezing every particle.

Arya had paid no attention to where Sansa was taking her, so when the girl shook her out of her thoughts and looked directly at her, blue eyes into grey, Arya was more than surprised at her surroundings. They were stood in a darkened hallway, the one light on the wall illuminated Sansa's face perfectly - the defined cheekbones, the flaming red hair. Traits of her sister's that Arya had always envied. But she would never admit to that of course.

"Follow the tunnel all the way through. At the end turn left, and you'll find yourself near the edge of the city."

Sansa pointed with one dainty finger, which Arya's eyes followed curiously. The girls met eyes again, and Arya bit her lip under Sansa's stare.

"What about you?" She said, the words hoarse in her throat.

Sansa breathed deeply, and placed a calming hand on Arya's shoulder. Arya steeled herself for the answer, although she already knew what it was.

"I'll stay here. I'm engaged to Joffrey-" She ignored Arya's look of distaste when the name was spoken, "I know you don't like him Arya, but I can't leave him, not after this. Besides, father-"

She stopped herself before she could say anything more. Arya raised an eyebrow at the girl, and prompted her to go on, "Father?"

Something shifted in Sansa's expression. A look of guilt passed through the shadows on her face.

"What about dad?" Arya pressed, forgetting all formalities.

Sansa paused, before finally deciding to answer. "Father told me a while ago - he suspected something like this may happen."

Arya frowned, betrayal coursing through her. Why had he not said anything to her?

Sansa continued, "Somebody's been trying to get into the Baratheon's account for about a year. He told me, 'Whoever they are, they are clever. They'll do anything to get what they desire. None of us are safe.'"

"But why would anybody want Robert Baratheon's money?" Arya asked, the events of the evening forgotten, curiosity getting the better of her.

Sansa shrugged, "I don't know. Father would not tell me that part. But Arya - You have to leave. Whoever is responsible for tonight may not have left yet. They could be after any one of us, and given Father's friendship with Robert-"

Sansa stopped suddenly, leaving the girls to look at each other with a look of alarm on their faces. There were footsteps. Not too far away.

"Leave." Sansa pushed Arya further down the darkened hallway.

"But-"

"Go."

Arya cast one last hesitant look at her sister, and then with brave steps, she began to tread down the hallway, her sister's figure getting ever more distant as she did so.

"But Sansa!" She called one last time, "Where should I go?"

Sansa thought for a moment. Her answer was hurried but as clear to Arya as any answer should be.

"To the place you feel safest," She said. And with that, Sansa took off down the hallway in the opposite direction. And so, Arya stared where her sister had once stood, until she could see her no more.

The soles of Arya's feet were beginning to wear now. While she had always been a fast runner, her breathing was unsteady, and her energy was starting to falter. To the place I feel safest. The place I feel safest. It was Arya's only thought. Sansa's last words to her would serve as the only advice she would follow. After all, she could trust her sister couldn't she?

Arya had followed the tunnel all the way out, and turned left just as Sansa had told her to. And there, Arya had found herself by the docks of Kingslanding - The Red Keep was just a scarlet dot in the distance.

Good. That was good. If no one had managed to follow her, which Arya doubted they would have; for she was as light on her feet as she was fast, then Arya was miles away from any trouble. That was until, the assassins search for Arya Stark began.

Unfortunately, while she was miles away from the Red Keep, she was also miles away from where she needed to be. She needed to be with him. The only friend Arya had from her childhood whom she trusted completely.

As Arya's run slowly turned into a fast paced walk, her mind began to wander to her childhood. Their visits to Kingslanding had grown even more frequent in later years, especially after Sansa's engagement to Joffrey. It was just outside of London, which was always easy to get to from the North, and on many days Arya found herself hauled on a train with her mother and younger brothers, ready to see her sister while she stayed in the Red Keep. Arya would have been none too happy about the engagement had it not have meant that she was allowed to see her friends that she had made here over the years.

And that was where she was headed to now. They both worked in a small café in the centre of town, and Arya knew she would be safe there. It would be the last place anybody would think to look.

The closer she got to the centre of town, usually, the more people she ran into. But tonight, it was hauntingly empty, and the one or two men that she did see were drunk. She pulled the zipper on the hoodie she wore up to her neck, trying to cover herself the best she could. The last thing she wanted right now was attention from the men when she was trying to remain anonymous.

She walked fast, trying to hide her breathlessness and the flush on her face. The street lights were the only thing that lit her way, and she dare not stray from their path. The shadows were a dangerous place at night in a city such as Kingslanding. Arya did not want to risk anything.

The wind howled and hit her the closer she got to her friends café. Her hair blew against her face as Arya wrapped her arms around herself. She had not thought this through. Nor had Sansa. She had no clothes, other than the stupid pink dress her mother had forced her into wearing, no money, no knowledge of what had even taken place tonight. She had a place to go - that was all. She only had to hope that her friends would have more sense to think of a plan right now than she.

But what if they've heard about the shooting already? What if they turn me away? The worries gnawed at the insides of Arya's mind, making her clench her jaw in anticipation.

She was getting closer now. Arya knew this city like the back of her hand. It was as though she had a map of it tattooed in her head. And the café was right in the centre with a bright red circle around it.

When she reached the building, Arya stood outside hesitantly for a moment. She glanced up and down, and peered through the window. It was bright inside, but she could see nobody in there. Then she noticed the word 'closed' clearly marked on the door. Still, to Arya, the prospect of an empty café was certainly more inviting than the thought of staying outside all night.

Slowly, she pushed the door open, and ignored the bell that sounded when she closed it behind her. The warmth hit her and Arya relaxed her stance slightly.

"Hello?" She said, stepping forward with tentative footsteps.

No one answered. Arya moved closer to the desk.

"Hot Pie?" She said, but still, there was no answer.

She moved closer again, and stepping behind the front desk, Arya took slow steps to the room in the back.

"Gendry?" She said more quietly, her voice traced with worry.

Seeing it empty, Arya moved out of the room and found herself walking up the steps to the flat above. The flat both Gendry and Hot Pie shared.

Just as she began to reach the top, she heard the familiar voices travel closer to her. The door opened just in front of her, and the man stood there had his face turned towards the flat, talking to somebody else.

"It's all over the news Hot Pie, how could you have missed it-" He stopped abruptly when he found himself face to face with the Stark.

"Arya?" The boy's blue eyes looked questioningly at her, but Arya could not find it in herself to smile. He knew. Of course he knew. And now he was going to turn her away.

"Hi Gendry," She tried to sound normal. Like she used to talk to him. But her voice failed her, "Can I come in?"

Gendry nodded, and moved aside for her to enter. Arya did so, and Gendry shut the door behind them. Hot Pie sat on the sofa, looking at Arya with an equal look of surprise. Gendry narrowed his eyes at her as he moved closer into the room. To anyone else, Gendry might have looked threatening. But Arya had known him for years, and she was not the slightest bit intimidated by him.

"You've heard then?" She asked them, biting her lip nervously.

The two of them nodded at the same time, but instead of telling her to leave, Gendry trailed off into a dozen questions, while Hot Pie stared, looking bewildered at the sight of the two.

"What happened? Are you alright? Where's your family-"

"Gendry stop!" Said Arya, rather more forcefully than she had originally intended. But Gendry did not look downcast. He perched against the back of the sofa, next to Hot Pie, and looked expectantly at Arya, giving her a chance to talk.

Her eyes faltered to the television behind the boys - it was on mute, but she didn't need three guesses as to what the news report was about. Gendry and Hot Pie were still staring at her, and Arya chewed the inside of her cheek under their gaze.

"Robert Baratheon's dead," She started, not knowing quite sure where to begin. The two of them knew this already however, and so Arya carried on talking, "I know... I know it might be too much to ask, but I've got nowhere else to go. So could I perhaps stay here for the night? I'll be gone by the morning. There's nowhere else for me to go and-"

She stopped when she caught the look on Gendry's face. Worry. It was not a look she was used to receiving from him.

"Where's your family?" He asked her, looking concerned.

Arya shrugged, unable to tell him that she had last seen her father and elder brother looking as though they were ready to murder someone.

"Sansa helped me escape from the Red Keep," She said at last. She could trust her friends of course. She had known the two of them since she was a child, "She told me that whoever killed Robert... They could be after my family too... and in turn, me."

Arya waited for their reactions - but neither of them said a word. Hot Pie looked shocked, while Gendry's expression softened, and for a moment, he looked as though he were about to step closer to her. But, for whatever reason, he decided not to.

"And Sansa?" He asked her, and Arya had to resist the urge to repeat her sister's last words to her.

Arya shook her head, "She couldn't come with me. She said she had to stay with Joffrey. Tonight was their engagement party."

Gendry sighed and scratched the back of his neck, before looking at Arya seriously, "You can stay here as long as you like. Can't she?"

He looked to Hot Pie for confirmation, who simply nodded happily. Gendry stepped closer to Arya, "We love you - D'you know that?"

Arya squirmed uncomfortably at Gendry's open display of affection, and Hot Pie looked thoroughly embarrassed.

"Don't be stupid," She said, but Arya smiled all the same.

Gendry grinned, "I'm not. But I'm - we're serious, you can stay here forever if you must."

Arya nodded, "Thank you."

Gendry looked satisfied but continued to stare at Arya expectantly. Hot Pie returned his attention back to television and pointed, "Arry - you're on TV."

And sure enough she was, her face appeared alongside Bran and Rickon's. The word 'missing' read underneath in bold letters. Sansa had been right. There were people looking for her. If Sansa had not told the police that she had helped Arya escape, then she was being serious when she had repeated their father's words to her in the tunnel. Arya could not let herself be found.

She could feel her mobile phone in her pocket - quite easily she could pick it up and ring either Bran or Rickon. But she knew she couldn't. What if their phone calls were traced? It may have been the sort of thing you'd expect to see on some sort of crime drama, but Arya knew it was quite possible if the killer was as clever as she thought.

Arya snapped out of her stupor, and nodded vaguely at Hot Pie. Her eyes flickered to the screen again, which was now a mess of flashing blue lights in front of what she could make out as the Red Keep. Paramedics carried a body bag out of the front gates, and Arya gasped involuntarily. Robert Baratheon's body flashed in front of her eyes again. You're stronger than this Arya. Stop acting like Sansa. And she was trying - she really was. But trying to act calm after what she had just witnessed took it's toll on her.

"Turn it off Hot Pie," The anger in Gendry's voice alarming Arya.

"But I'm watching-"

"Turn it off," Gendry said with a sort of finality that made Hot Pie oblige. He turned the television off with a flick of the remote. Hot Pie stood up and stalked off towards his room, looking rather annoyed.

That left Arya and Gendry alone. The flat was silent, and Gendry stared Arya, looking torn between the urge to say something and the need to stay quiet. He did neither. Without thinking, Gendry launched forward and wrapped his arms around Arya, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

Arya did not fight him, but she hugged him back with equal force. Gendry was her best friend. He was here when everybody else had gone. He was solid - not just a figment of her imagination. He was exactly who she needed right now.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, his head buried into her hair.

"Like shit," She replied, and Gendry chuckled. Arya pulled away from him but Gendry looked at her uncertainly.

"I'll make tea," He said, and Arya nodded. She took a seat at the table and surveyed the flat. She'd been here many times before, but had never really took any notice of it. It was basic - a couch and TV in the centre, the kitchen in the corner, and the table with two chairs that she sat at. The hallway that Hot Pie had skulked down led to the two bedrooms and a bathroom. Over the years, this place had acted as a sanctuary for her. Officially, she had stayed at the Red Keep, but Arya had spent more time here than she had there.

Arya's eyes fell on Gendry, who was busy making the tea with his back to her. Her mother had never approved of her and Gendry's friendship. She thought it was inappropriate. He was five years older than her, and while Arya was a Stark, Gendry did not even know his father's name. But Arya did not care. Both Jon, her favourite brother, and her father were friendly with Gendry and Hot Pie, and that was all the approval she needed.

"Arya," A voice called out to her and she looked up to see Gendry standing above her, holding two cups of tea in his hands. He set them down on the table and sat opposite her. Under his gaze, Arya could not help but feel guilty. She had not told him the entire truth, even though she trusted him. She felt as though she were betraying Gendry for that.

Arya pulled the tea closer to her and wrapped her fingers around it. It warmed the cold that the outside had left on her.

She sighed and looked at Gendry seriously, "Sansa told me there are men after Robert Baratheon's money. My dad has access to it. She thought that whoever killed Robert might be after our family too. Turns out, she was right."

Arya glanced towards the TV screen again and Gendry nodded in understanding.

"Then why did you come here?" He asked her softly.

Arya hesitated, grateful that Gendry was not rushing her. "I... Sansa told me to go somewhere I felt safe. And I trust you - so I came here."

Gendry looked touched, but said nothing. Arya felt his hands wrap around hers, as though he was trying to give her whatever comfort he could. There was a moment of silence between the two of them. Arya glanced her eyes downwards at their intertwined hands and she smiled slightly.

After a moment, Gendry pulled away, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Stupid," She muttered, more for hers than anyone else's benefit. But she was still smiling, all the same.

Gendry appeared to have heard her, and he grinned. They sat in silence for a while, Arya taking occasional sips of her tea. She would not let her mind wander to where her family may be now. She knew Bran and Rickon were safe at least, for if they were missing, it meant the killer had not found them. But what about Sansa and her mother? What about Robb and her father? No. She would not think on it at all. Not until the morning at least. It was late now, and all she really needed was the luxury of the emptiness of sleep.

Arya felt her eyelids become heavy and she drained the last dregs from her tea cup.

"I'll sleep on the sofa," She heard Gendry say, "You can take my bed."

Arya opened her mouth to decline the offer when Gendry stopped her, "Don't be stupid Arya, you need sleep more than I do. After what's just happened, I'm not about to let you sleep on the sofa."

Arya was quiet after that - too exhausted to argue, even with Gendry. She stayed sat at the table while Gendry disappeared for a moment, re-emerging a moment later with a duvet and a pillow. Arya stood up at once and stopped beside Gendry.

"Thanks," Said Arya, and she meant it. Arya could rely on Gendry, just as he could rely on her.

Gendry smiled fondly, "You'll be okay?"

Arya nodded, and walked down the narrow hallway and into what she knew to be Gendry's room. She closed the door behind her, and breathed deeply. She had been in here once or twice, but the room was still new surroundings to her. The bed sat by the window, looking hastily made. There was a small lamp that stood on the bedside table, and in the corner, a wardrobe.

Arya made her way towards the wardrobe without even thinking, and opened it, still half asleep. There were piles of clothes that looked as though they had been recently stuffed at the bottom, and only one or two items of clothing hung up where they should be. Arya smirked when she realized Gendry must have tried to tidy up his room as best he could only a few moments ago. For me, she thought and Arya tried to hide her blush even though there was no one in the room.

She pulled out the first shirt she found, and closed the wardrobe doors. Arya unzipped her hoodie and pulled the shirt over her head. It fell to her knees, and looked more like a sheet on her than a shirt. But it was something familiar - something close to Gendry, and somehow, that comforted her.

She made her way over to the bed and pulled back the covers. Arya quickly turned off the lamp beside the table before she slipped inside the bed, pulling the covers right to her chin. As a last thought, Arya removed her mobile phone from her pocket and placed it on the bedside table.

She fell asleep quickly, knowing that at least for now, she was safe. But her family's fate remained unseen.


	2. Arya

Chapter Two ;

 

The night had been restless for Arya, and when she woke, it was as though she had not slept at all. Glancing through the cracks in the curtain, Arya could see that it was still dark outside. It was early morning then, she guessed.

Arya blinked a few times and the world came in to focus. For a moment - just a moment, she could have tried to convince herself that she as at home again. In Winterfell. Safe. But her surroundings told her otherwise, as did the shirt that still hung over her, ten sizes too big. Gendry's shirt.

Given how early it was, Arya knew she would be the only one awake. But she could not sleep. Not now.

Arya pushed the sheets off her and slipped out of the bed. She knew the longer she stayed here, the more likely it would be that whoever was after her would find her. And in every second that passed, the more danger she was putting her friends in. She had to leave. And soon.

Resigning herself to this, Arya picked up her hoodie off the floor and wrapped it around her small waist. She decided she would keep Gendry's shirt though, wherever she was going. It would act as a small comfort of home when she escaped.

Arya's hand was on the door, ready to pull it open, when something stopped her. Her phone was on the bedside table still. It was buzzing silently, and despite her head telling her to leave it, curiosity drove her towards her phone.

She wouldn't answer it. She couldn't do that. No matter who it was. But still, Arya found herself picking the phone up, just to take a peek at who was trying to contact her. She guessed it to be Bran or Sansa, making sure she was safe. But it was neither.

 _Jon._ She read her elder brother's name on the screen. The temptation to answer was almost too much for Arya. But she did not. She switched the phone off, and Jon's name disappeared from the screen as quickly as it had appeared.

She slipped the phone in to her pocket, and tip-toed to the door, shutting it delicately behind her.

Arya stood outside in the hallway for a moment. The flat was silent, apart from the none too gentle snores she could hear from across the hall. _Hot Pie_ , She thought with a smirk.

The flat was in complete darkness, but when Arya glanced down the hallway she could see the outline of Gendry's body on the sofa. She crept down, as quiet as she could, afraid that any sound might wake her best friend.

She reached the room and did her best not to wake him. And she almost succeeded. Arya reached the door of the flat when she heard Gendry's voice behind her.

"Arya?"

She bit her lip and turned to face him. Gendry's legs were hanging over the edge of the sofa, so he sat up. She could only vaguely make out the features of his face.

"I-" She began but Gendry stopped her.

"Is that my shirt?" He said, smiling slightly.

"Yeah I-" Arya stopped herself, realizing what Gendry was trying to do. He knew she was trying to leave without telling them. Yet he was pretending he did not know. He had saved her from having to explain everything. It was just another reason to be grateful to her best friend.

And then Arya's eyes travelled down from Gendry's face, her face growing hotter as she did so. He was not wearing a shirt. She was only glad that the darkness could conceal the blush on her face.

Arya looked away quickly, but it was too late. Gendry had noticed her looking.

"Arya, are you-" He stopped. The flat was silent aside from the ringing that was coming from the phone on the wall next to Arya.

They stared at each other, each of them unsure as to what to do next.

Gendry decided what to do before Arya however, and he stood up, making his way towards the phone.

"Gendry don't," Arya said, but he had already picked up the phone.

Arya froze, as Gendry's face gave nothing away. She could not hear the voice on the other end of the line, and that only served to make her more nervous. Arya watched Gendry carefully, waiting for him to say something.

His expression shifted slightly, and Gendry glanced at Arya. He lifted the phone away from his ear, and handed it to Arya.

Arya raised an eyebrow at him, but he smiled at her, giving nothing away.

Slowly, Arya put the phone to her ear, waiting for the voice to speak on the other end.

"Arya?" It said, and Arya recognised it at once.

She spoke, all concerns about somebody tracking the phone calls forgotten, "Jon?"

Her brother answered quickly, relief flooding his voice as he did, "Are you safe?"

Arya paused, "Yes."

She thought best not to mention where she was, although Jon clearly already knew.

"Good," Was his reply, "Listen Arya, I want you to meet me at mine tonight. Can you do that?"

Arya bit her lip. She knew Jon had purposely not said _where_ he was. But she knew. He was in Edinburgh, studying at the university there. She knew what he was asking her, clear as day.

She cleared her throat, and spoke with the sarcastic confidence she normally did to her brother, "Of course."

"Okay. I'll see you tonight then." And then the line when dead, and Jon's voice was gone.

Arya put the phone down, and found herself face to face, with Gendry. Who, she noted, had put a shirt on while she was on the phone. He looked at her curiously, but Arya ignored him, and walked over to the wall, turning the light on.

"Well?" She could see Gendry squinting at her.

Arya looked at Gendry seriously, and then she spoke, "Jon wants me to meet him at his house. In Edinburgh."

Gendry looked shocked for a moment before recomposing himself, "I'll come with you,"

Arya shook her head, "No. You stay here-"

"Arya, there are people after you! You said so yourself. I want to come with you to Edinburgh to make sure you're safe," He stepped closer to her, and she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Arya looked up, and found him staring oddly at her. He grabbed Arya's hand quickly, giving her no chance to pull away.

"You... You're my best friend Arya. Whoever's after you, they're going to have to get through me first. I'm _going_ to keep you safe," He said, rubbing circles on her palm.

Arya looked determinedly at the floor, and took her hand back from him.

"You're not coming with me Gendry," She said, finally.

And with that, she pulled the door open, slamming it behind her. She ran down the steps quickly, trying to make sure that Gendry did not get any chance to follow her. But she heard the door open and shut again behind her, and Arya knew he had.

"Arya wait," She heard Gendry's voice, and when she turned he was stood behind her. Arya waited patiently, as he took some money from the cashier, knowing that it was pointless now in trying to stop him from trying to follow her. He indicated towards the door, and Arya made her way towards it, Gendry following.

Outside, Arya could see the sun rising in the distance - no one would be awake at this hour. Nobody but them.

"What about Hot Pie?" She asked Gendry, when he finally stood behind her outside.

"I left him a note, with any luck he'll miss it though," He smirked and Arya returned it, even though she knew it was unfair to joke at the expense of their friend.

Arya looked around her, realizing how pointless her plan to leave alone had been. The only way to get to Edinburgh was by train - and the nearest train station was in London. She looked at Gendry, and he appeared to have dawned upon the same realization as her.

Arya opened her mouth to speak, but Gendry answered her question before she could ask it.

"Hot Pie's car," He said, and not for the first time in her life, Arya felt sorry towards the boy. She could just imagine his face when he realized his two best friends had ran off together in the middle of the night with his car. But Hot Pie would understand. He may not forgive them, but he would understand. He always did. He and Arya had never shared the same sort of relationship she and Gendry had. Gendry was close enough to be a brother to her - close enough, but not quite. Hot Pie was more like a sorry pet they kept that chased after Gendry.

Arya followed Gendry around the corner of the café, where Hot Pie's tiny, red car sat. Gendry clicked the keys quickly. Arya presumed he must have taken them before he left the flat - unusually, one step ahead of Arya.

Arya pulled the rusted handle of the car door, and slipped inside. The car was tiny, and where Arya sat there was barely any leg room, so she pulled her feet up to her chest, and wrapped her hoodie them. Gendry got in the car by the drivers seat and looked at her oddly, but he said nothing. He would be driving of course, Arya did not have a licence yet.

"Ready?" He said, looking determined.

"Ready," Arya mimicked. Gendry turned the key and the car sprang to life, just as the rest of the small city began to stir.

*

Arya stood hidden behind Gendry's tall frame, and she tapped her fingers impatiently against her thigh. They had waited almost an hour for the ticket booth to open already, and even though they were first in line for tickets, the assistant seemed to be a bit distressed at Gendry's hasty manner, and so, she was taking even longer.

"Two tickets to Edinburgh, right?" The assistant said in a thick London accent.

Gendry nodded. He glanced quickly at Arya and then looked away, returning his attention back to the assistant.

"The first train's at eight," She said, smiling politely, but Arya could see she was annoyed.

Arya looked around the train station - it was beginning to fill up with people now, despite the early hour. Anyone of these could be after Arya. She had hoped that being in a large city with more people to disguise her identity, she would feel safer. But she only felt the opposite. More people meant more of a chance of being discovered.

"That's fine," Arya heard Gendry say, and he began to scoop money out of his pocket and place it on the counter.

Arya did not even realize when Gendry had a hand on the small of Arya's back, pushing her away gently from the counter. Arya glanced at the large clock hanging above the centre of the station. It was half past seven. They would have to wait, yet again.

People began to speed past them, and Arya took a step closer to Gendry. She felt safer when she was close to him. She always had done. Gendry was always there to protect her.

"C'mon," He said, and Arya followed him to a bench, which was slightly hidden out of the way of the crowds. Gendry sat down, and Arya sat beside him, putting just a tiny bit of distance between them.

Arya cleared her throat anxiously, and decided to talk about something to take her mind off the vulnerable state they were in.

"Hot Pie will never forgive us for leaving without him," She said.

Gendry smiled.

"Probably not. And he'll go mental when he realizes we took his car."

Arya raised an eyebrow and smirked, "You didn't tell him?"

Gendry shook his head, "I forgot. I was too busy trying to chase after _you._ "

Arya bit her lip guiltily and looked away from Gendry. She said nothing in reply. Arya tensed when Gendry scooted closer to her, their knees almost touching.

"We'll find them - your family," His voice softened and Arya turned her attention to him. She found that he was staring straight into her eyes.

"I know," She replied, her voice no more than a whisper.

"And I'll stay with you," He replied instantly.

A moment of silence passed between the two of them, before Arya smiled. Not knowing what else to do, she punched him on the shoulder and called him stupid, as she always did.

Gendry laughed easily and looked away from Arya. They sat in companionable silence for a time, before Gendry jumped up suddenly, "It's five to eight," He said urgently. Arya smirked at his uneasiness and followed Gendry as he began to look for the platform the train was on.

He spotted it and pointed out the incoming train to Arya. The two of them walked to the platform and pulled away when the crowds of people made to get off of the train. Arya stayed closer to Gendry again, not wanting to lose him in the crowds. Finally, when the area had emptied of people, Arya walked forwards purposely onto the train. Gendry followed her, and glanced at the tickets quickly.

Arya walked down the aisle of the train, ignoring the stares she received from the people already sat down. She was fully aware that she was still wearing the dress she had worn last night, and after barely any sleep, there were bags deep-set under her eyes, and her short hair framed her face messily. She alone, was enough to attract unwanted attention from curious onlookers.

Arya spotted an empty table a the end of the train carriage, and so she made her way over to it, conscious that Gendry was following her intently the entire time. She sat down beside the window, and Gendry sat next to her. She could feel his eyes on her, but Arya looked away, not wanting to discuss anything that moment. Not a moment like this. Not when she was just about to be one step further away from danger. Her heart was in her throat. She could clearly imagine whoever was after her entering the train at that very moment. _They were ready to take her away. Ready to grab her by the shoulders and haul her away from Gendry. Ready to-_

"Arya," Gendry's low voice came out of nowhere, and she snapped her head to look at him quickly. He indicated to the two people that were in the process of sitting down opposite them. Two girls of about Arya's age, both heavily made up, were clearly trying to gather Gendry's attention, who was entirely oblivious to them.

They sat down and smiled flirtatiously at him, ignoring Arya. Arya stiffened, which Gendry noticed. He placed a hand on hers under the table and Arya blushed without thinking. She knew he must have been thinking she was worried about the girls. That the company might have been after Arya. Gendry was trying to reassure her.

But Arya knew her reaction was for an entirely different reason.

Arya pulled her hand away from Gendry and forced her eyes to look out the window of the train. They were moving now. Away from the train station and underground. Soon they would be speeding through the countryside on the way to Edinburgh. Arya had been so distracted by thought that she had not noticed the whistle blow and the train set off.

Vaguely, Arya could hear the girls sat opposite trying to make conversation with Gendry. He kept his answers short but polite, and Arya could not help but find that she was glad. But what did she care anyway? If Gendry had chosen to talk back to the girls it was his business, not hers.

Eventually, Arya tore her eyes away from the window, to find that the girls had set their eyes on Arya. They looked at her with a forced smile which Arya did not return.

"She's my sister," Said Gendry. Arya felt her stomach drop in something that could only be described as disappointment. She cast Gendry a long, hard glare, and then she looked away.

She ignored all three of them entirely after that - the girls, and Gendry. She had not even noticed when the girls had left the train, and Gendry was nudging her with his elbow.

"They're gone," He said, and Arya visibly relaxed when she noticed that they had, in fact departed from the train.

"Thank god," Arya replied, only a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Gendry noticed it however, and he frowned.

"What?" He asked her. Arya shook her head. "What have I done?"

Arya sighed, and said almost accusingly,"Why did you tell them I was your sister?"

Gendry shrugged and looked confused, "I thought it'd be safer to disguise your identity. Was that wrong?"

"Yes," Arya replied, without thinking, "No. And yes. I'm not your sister."

Gendry frowned then, looking hurt, "Why? Am I too _bloody_ low-born to be kin to M'lady high? To low-born to be kin to _Arya Stark._ "

"Shut up!" She slapped his arm and Gendry realized his mistake immediately. He glanced around quickly, a look of guilt on his face, before turning to look back at Arya, satisfied that nobody had been listening to their conversation.

"It's not because of that, stupid," She told him when his attention was back on her.

"Why then?" He said, an eyebrow raised.

Arya paused. _Why? Why had she been so annoyed when he had called her his sister?_

"I..." Arya began, Unsure of what to say, "I don't know. I'm just not, okay? I'm not your sister."

Gendry nodded, but continued to look at her bizarrely.

"Whereabouts are we anyway?" She asked him, desperate to change the conversation.

Gendry shrugged, "Half way there?" He asked her in return, "You were the one looking out the window."

Arya snorted, "Sorry I don't have a map of the British countryside embedded in my brain."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gendry grin.

As if on cue, the voice of the train driver spoke via the overhead speaker, announcing that they had just passed York, and that the ticket inspector would be making an appearance soon. When he did, Arya hid her face behind her hair as best she could, scared that being recognised would result in her being shipped off back to Kingslanding. Gendry cast an understanding look at Arya, and gave the inspector the tickets as casually as he could. They both breathed a sigh of relief when he left.

The rest of the journey passed without delay. Gendry bought them both breakfast, which Arya had not realised she needed until he had said so. The train began to slow as they reached Edinburgh. It pulled into the station, and Arya glanced at the time on her phone. Three o'clock. Had they really been on the train that long?

Arya did not have time to think any further, before Gendry stood up, and waited for her to follow him off the train. They did so hurriedly, muttering hasty ' excuse me's ' to everyone that was in their way. Gendry stepped off the train and Arya hopped off it behind him, her eyes scanning the station for the exit.

And then she spotted it. The exit. Arya rushed towards it, pulling Gendry along beside her. She ignored the roar of the people in the station. She ignored thoughts that anyone of these could be after her. Because they couldn't be. They were one step closer to safety now.

The outside air hit them immediately, and Arya knew were to go from here. She had been to Jon's temporary home once, but she knew it was near enough the station to remember it easily. She slipped her hand in Gendry's, pulling him along excitedly in the right direction. She was going to get there. She was going to see Jon.


	3. Arya

Chapter Three;

 

Jon. He was so close Arya could almost feel him. Perhaps she was being stupid. Or maybe it was the bond that the two shared, which let Arya know whenever he was near. _Will he know I'm here too?_ Arya wondered. She hoped as much anyway.

For the first time since she and Gendry had stepped off the train, Arya no longer shuddered at the sight of crowds. She felt hope. Now, her brother was close. They were almost safe. No one would stop her from reaching him. No one.

Arya held onto Gendry's hand tightly, pulling him through the busy streets of Edinburgh with a determined look on her face. She knew her way to Jon's house instinctively, and led Gendry past a row of shops and down a darkened alleyway. Gendry did not question her, and she was glad for it. They passed by a group of men standing where the alley came to an end, each of them giving Arya and Gendry an annoyed look.

"Foreigners," One of them muttered in a strong Scottish accent. But neither Arya nor Gendry retorted. Arya knew the way she was acting clearly gave the impression that she was a tourist. But she was not here just to visit the city. She was here to visit Jon.

She reached the end of the alley with Gendry following close behind her, and brushed her hair away from her face. _Almost there,_ thought Arya, _we're almost there._

The street around them was far quieter than the previous ones had been. Each house looked dreary - the rain that had begun to fall not helping matters at all. Iron gates enclosed each house, and a set of steep steps led up to every front door. But Arya knew where she was going.

She walked more slowly now, counting each step on the pavement. Each crack on every step. And then she stopped.

Jon's house was to their right. It looked just like the others - the perfect hiding spot. The perfect sanctuary.

Arya let go of Gendry's hand and took a hesitant step towards the house. While she had been excited before, to see her elder brother - she was nervous now. What if it was a trap? _Or,_ what if Jon was not actually here? What if he had decided to meet them at the station and he had been captured by whomever was after her?

She drew in a slow breath.

" _Stupid,_ " The words were whispered into her ear, so quietly that Arya could have convinced herself that she had imagined them. But when Arya turned to Gendry, he was smirking at her slightly. Gendry's arrogance gave her the courage she needed to carry on.

"Shut up," She replied, with a hasty breath.

She strode up the steps to the house then, a confident air around her. She stood on the top step and raised a hand towards the black door. Arya felt Gendry stand a little way behind her, and she cast a weary look towards him. He smiled at her and indicated for Arya to go on.

So she did.

Arya knocked on the door and without a seconds waiting, it flew open. Both Arya and Gendry took a step back at the abruptness of their greeting, and it took a few moments for the woman in front of them to sharpen into focus.

"Arya?"

Arya nodded and took in the woman's appearance. Hair, an even deeper shade red than Sansa's. Pasty white skin, dotted with freckles. A stature similar to Arya's own.

"Come in," She said, and she pulled the door open further to allow Arya entrance. Gendry followed behind her, looking confused for a moment, but he quickly hid it with a polite smile to the woman.

She shut the door behind them in a manner that was a great deal gentler than which they had been greeted in. Arya watched her as she locked the door. Normally at first, and then the padlocks at the top. And the bottom.

"Where's Jon?" Arya asked her, when she had finished securing the door.

The woman smiled, "He's-"

"Arya!" Her brother's cry of relief came from the doorway behind them. Arya spun around to see Jon standing there. He grinned at her and Arya launched herself into his arms. She may have been seventeen now, but Arya was still light enough for her brother to lift her off the ground.

Arya held onto him tightly. Only a day had passed since her life had begun spiralling out of control, but already Arya knew that time with family was precious.

Finally, Jon set Arya back on the ground, and his eyes travelled behind her.

"Gendry," He grinned at his old friend, and Gendry returned the smile.

"And this is Ygritte," Said Jon, indicating to the red haired woman that had let them in.

" _His girlfriend_ ," Said Ygritte, with a wink to Jon, who looked embarrassed at the flirtation in front of his little sister. Both Gendry and Arya exchanged greetings with Ygritte, before Jon was leading them through towards the kitchen.

Arya pulled an olden chair away from the table, ignoring the screeching sound it made across the floor. Something nudged her hand gently while the others sat down. Arya looked to the floor, to find Jon's pet dog at her side. _Wolf's more like it,_ Arya thought with a smile. And then the smile faded when Arya's mind wondered to her own wolf's location. _Nymeria._ She had left her in Winterfell. Would she be able to sense that Arya was in danger? Or would it just be like the Stark family had just gone away again? But this time they might not be coming back. At least not together, at the same time.

"Ghost," Jon's voice whispered to the dog, "Here."

The dog left Arya's side and began to trail it's master around the kitchen. Arya looked up to find everybody sat at the table. The curtains on the windows had been closed. The room only dimly lit with a small candle in the centre.

"What-" Arya began to ask, raising a single eyebrow.

"It's best to take precautions," Ygritte answered her without thinking, "Anyone could be watching."

Arya did not reply to this. Instead, she watched Jon intently, waiting for him to give her a hint as to what was going on. But he did not. His eyes flickered to Arya, and then back down at his fingertips. Arya noticed his nails had been bitten right down to the bed. Rather like hers.

She looked around the group, but no one spoke. They were waiting for Arya to speak.

So Arya spoke.

"Why are people after us?" It was the first question she thought of.

But Jon merely shrugged his hunched shoulders.

"But you must have some idea of what's going on," That was Gendry's voice.

Arya glanced quickly at her friend, only to find that he was staring straight at Jon. If Jon could feel Gendry's eyes on him, he did not show it.

"Jon," It was a command. Not a question. It was from Ygritte.

Jon looked hesitantly at Ygritte, who's expression softened. Then he looked at Arya. His eyes bore into hers, the same Stark grey as Arya's.

He sighed heavily.

"I don't know," Said Jon, his face solemn, "I haven't heard from dad since before you left for Kingslanding. The first I heard of what had happened was last night. On the news. They said you were missing. Then Bran phoned me-"

"Bran?" Arya interrupted, the shock on her face evident.

Jon nodded in confirmation, "Bran. He told me he had escaped with Rickon and your mother. That he had last seen you with Sansa. He told me not to ring anyone because our phones are being tracked."

"Then how did he ring y _ou_?" Asked Gendry.

Jon shrugged again and smiled, "Probably did something to the phone he was using. Being the mini Einstein that he is."

But Arya wasn't listening to them. The realization was too busy dawning on her.

"But you rung me..." Said Arya.

"I had to," Jon replied, "I had to be sure you were safe. Don't worry, I've left my phone with a friend. If _they_ do track it, then they're not going to find me."

Arya smiled, relieved. It was fine. They were safe. No harm was going to come to them here.

Jon continued, "But I'm leaving. Tonight."

"What?" Arya half screeched at her brother. Relief gone out the window.

Jon looked sympathetic, “I've no choice. I've got to find dad and Robb, and help them Arya!”

“No.” Arya said simply, “No. I've only just got here. You're not leaving me. I'm not losing someone else-”

Arya stopped herself before she could go any further. _I haven't lost anybody. Bran and Rickon are with mother. Sansa's with the Lannisters. Robb and father can take care of themselves. Even so, I'm the only one that's got nobody. Nobody tried to save me. I'm alone._ Arya snapped herself out of her thoughts. She wasn't alone. Gendry had been there for her, hadn't he? She _had_ Jon. Her elder brother. The one family member she knew she could rely on completely. But now he was leaving. _No doubt Gendry will leave me soon too._

"Arya."

Jon was speaking to her. She met his eyes with resentment, bitterness filling her heart.

"You know I have to go. They're family. I _have_ to help them."

"I'm family," Arya replied, her voice no louder than a whisper. Silence followed. She chewed at her lip.

Finally, Arya nodded. Deep down, Arya knew Jon had to go. Besides, he would never really leave her. They would always find each other again. They always had done.

Jon nodded. He smiled warmly at Arya, and spoke, "Thank you."

A look of understanding passed between the two of them. And then the spell was broken.

Ygritte coughed, and drew both Arya's and Gendry's attention to her, and grinned, "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

Ygritte then looked to Jon, and then to Gendry. She looked back at Jon, and something in her expression shifted.

Her eyes fell on Arya.

"Arya, I have some clothes you can borrow. I'd hate to be stuck in that _dress_ for any longer."

Arya smiled sheepishly. Understandably, she forgotten for a moment she was still wearing the stupid pink dress. Her clothes were all Sansa's doing really. From Ygritte's look of distaste at the dress, they might have been more similar than Arya had originally thought. She wondered whether Jon had realised.

Arya stood up, and followed Ygritte through to the hallway and up the long set of winding stairs. She heard the kitchen door shut below them. Arya wasn't stupid. She knew Jon would most likely be having some sort of 'serious' talk with Gendry. _The whole, thank you for being there for her but keep your hands to yourself talk._ Arya smirked. Jon had always teased the two of them. He was convinced that Arya had some sort of schoolgirl crush on Gendry. Since they were always together, it wasn't hard to see why. But that wasn't it. Gendry was just a friend. Her best friend.

It wasn't until Arya had turned fifteen that she had even understood why girls always found Gendry so attractive anyway. But that didn't mean she was one of _those_ girls. She would never be one of them. In fact, Gendry wasn't attractive - he was stupid.

Ygritte strode confidently into the first room on the upstairs hallway, and walked over to the set of drawers in the corner. Arya could see her rooting around in there for something that might fit Arya.

Arya looked around the room curiously. It was brighter than downstairs. There was a mattress on the floor, and clothes thrown around the room. Photo's decorated the walls, and a mirror hung dangerously opposite the bed. It was student-y.

"Here ya go," Ygritte threw a bundle of clothes at Arya, who caught them threw the tips of her fingers, "You might want to take a shower too."

Ygritte then led Arya out of the room and down the hallway, which was shadowed due to the lack of lighting. She reached another door, and gave the handle a sharp pull, before pushing the door open with her shoulder.

"This used to be our mate Sam's room. He moved out a while ago though. I just hope it's safe," She gave the room a once over with her eyes, and then grinned at Arya. Arya remembered Sam well enough. He was more of a boy than a man - portly but with a kind face.

"You and your boyfriend can stay here," She continued.

"He's not my boyfriend." Arya replied, alarmed.

Ygritte laughed, "I know, I'm just teasing."

She winked at Arya, and closed the door shut behind her.

Arya waited until she could no longer hear Ygritte's footsteps to take a step further into the room. She did, and then she dumped the clothes on the single bed in front of her.

Arya walked around the room on light feet. She did not make a sound. She was silent. Her fingers trailed along the mantle piece above the fire that was no longer in use. It was thick with dust. She brushed it off carelessly onto her dress.

Arya walked over to the one small window in the room. The white paint was cracked, it crumbled in her fingers when she touched it. She tried to unlatch the window, but it wouldn't budge. The window was locked. Not that there had been much of a view. There was a rooftop that belonged to the house she resided in, beyond which she could see nothing.

She noticed the sky. It was dark out already. It was no later than five, Arya guessed. But it was winter. Arya should have been used to that by now.

She remembered what Ygritte had said about taking a shower. Arya quickly scooped up the clothes from the bed in her arms, and walked over quickly to the door. She pulled it open and slid outside into the hallway.

There was only one door she had not been through. It was opposite her.

Arya tip-toed over to it cautiously. She knew her precautions were pointless. She was safe here. But still, Arya had been so on edge for the past twenty-four hours, that she found her alertness hard to shake off.

Inside the bathroom, Arya locked the door behind her. The room was small, containing only the shower, toilet, a mirror and sink. The mirror was cracked. She wondered who'd been responsible. _Bad luck for them,_ Arya grimaced.

She found the light switch by the door, and clicked it. The room was immediately filled with light, from the single light bulb above her.

With a sigh, she put Ygritte's clothes on the closed toilet seat, unzipped the hoodie she was wearing, and then tossed it on the marble floor. She pulled Gendry's shirt from over her head, and paused, before placing it more neatly beside her hoodie. She quickly pulled her trainers from her feet - the ones she had insisted on wearing that had previously caused so many arguments between herself and her sister.

Then she was left in only the pink dress. The dress she had been wearing that night. _Last_ night. The night Robert Baratheon was killed. The night everything changed. _No_.

Arya forced herself back to the present. After all, it did no good to dwell on the past. Hadn't she always told herself that?

Without looking, Arya unbuttoned the dress from the back, and slid it down her body, until it pooled around her feet on the floor. Goosebumps broke out on her flesh from the cold.

She darted in the shower, turned it on, and then darted out again. She wasn't sure whether the shower would warm up right away, and Arya wasn't going to take any chances. She stared into the mirror, and her reflection stared back. Arya's first thought was that she looked awful. Her eyes black with mascara, and tired from the lack of sleep. Her lips were chapped too - but that was normal. She tried to wipe some of the mascara from her eyes, but her efforts were in vain. It wouldn't budge. At least if she could remove the make-up, Arya would look a little more like herself. Not the superficial Arya that Sansa had turned her into.

Finally, Arya deemed the water hot enough. She pulled off her undergarments, and discarded them on the floor beside her clothes. Then she jumped in the shower, pulling the faded grey curtain around her tightly.

The water was scalding - but it helped. It helped to wash away the memories of what had taken place. It helped Arya to becoming one step closer to herself again. She ducked her head under the water quickly. The water flowed freely down her back.

She grabbed the bar of soap from it's holder, and scrubbed her skin until it looked likely to bleed. Every essence of what had happened would disappear. Slowly, she would be free.

She washed her hair quickly, and then put the soap back in it's place. Then, she turned the shower off, and stepped out of it carefully. She grabbed a green towel from it's place beside the sink, and wrapped it around her. Then she looked in the mirror.

All traces of make-up were gone from her face. Arya looked like Arya again.

She dressed quickly, deciding against putting Gendry's shirt back on. He might find that just a little bit _too_ weird. Then, dressed in the grey shirt and black jeans Ygritte had given her, Arya unlocked the bathroom door.

She then made her way over to Sam's - _their_ room, her old clothes in her hands. The door was already open, and Arya found Gendry surveying the room curiously, much like she had.

She dumped the clothes on the floor and looked to Gendry when she felt his eyes on her.

"Hey," He said with a smile.

Arya smiled back as a way of greeting, "What did Jon want?"

Gendry grinned at this, "Can't tell you that, I'm afraid."

Arya pouted at him and Gendry laughed. He made his way over to the door, where Arya was standing and stopped short when he stood in front of her.

"Where are _you_ going?" She said, narrowing her eyes in fake suspicion.

Gendry mocked offence, "I cannot tell M'lady that either!"

Arya swatted him round the back of the head.

"Oi!" Said Gendry, although Arya could see he was fighting to hide back a smile. Arya frowned at him.

Gendry grinned and ruffled her hair fondly, before Arya moved out of the way of the door. He slipped out the room and Arya heard the bathroom door lock behind her.

Seeing as there was no use staying upstairs, Arya left the room, and made her way to the stairs. She ran down the steps on, being careful not to make a sound. Her hair was still wet, but she didn't mind. It would dry quickly anyway.

She reached the door to the kitchen, which was ajar only slightly. From the inside she could hear Jon and Ygritte's hushed voices. _Whispers,_ almost.

Arya waited outside, listening carefully.

"He doesn't seem the type Jon. Besides, she's not a child, and I think you're being stupid. You know nothing about-"

"She's _my_ little sister! And _I_ know she's not as innocent as she seems."

Then silence. Arya was breathing heavily from running down the stairs, but she was sure they couldn't hear her listening. _Eavesdropping, more like._

"When are you going to tell her?" There was a more serious tone to Ygritte's voice now.

"I'm not. The less Arya knows about this the better. She _can't_ know when or why or _who_ I'm going after."

It was silent again. The floorboard at the top of the stairs creaked. Arya's head snapped round instantly, and Gendry was stood there. He gave a quizzical look, but Arya merely shook her head at him. Arya returned her attention to the door, but the conversation had changed now. They must have heard somebody coming.

"Idiot," Arya mouthed at Gendry.

"What?" He said, looking innocent as he climbed down the stairs to meet Arya. He was wearing different clothes, which she presumed were Jon's. His face was fresh, and his eyes sparkled blue. Arya's stomach gave a lurch.

The kitchen door opened. She shook her head and smiled at Gendry, but from the look in his eyes, she was sure he didn't believe her. He would ask her later.

Jon stood in the frame of the door, looking from Arya to Gendry with a frown. Finally, he smiled at them.

"Leftover pizza okay for tea?" He sounded falsely cheery.

Arya bit her lip and nodded, avoiding meeting her brother's eyes. He was acting different. _Weird,_ she might say. Whatever he and Ygritte had been talking about had dampened his mood. _Then again, he is leaving tonight,_ Arya thought, _Maybe he's nervous about that._

The four of them ate in mostly silence, any conversation that was attempted was muted by the thought that both Jon and Ygritte would be leaving soon. And although Arya was not sure where exactly they were going, or who they were going after, she knew her brother and his girlfriend would not be safe. They were giving Arya and Gendry their home when they could not stay there themselves.

It got to seven, when Jon finally decided they would have to leave. Arya kept quiet about it. She was still devastated that her brother was leaving so soon, and that had put her in a bad mood throughout the course of the evening.

"I'll be fine Arya. You know me," Jon smiled warmly at her and then lifted her up off the floor. He hugged her in the same way she had greeted him, and Arya clung to him like she would never let go. But she did.

"I know," Replied Arya. She bit her tongue to prevent the tears forming in her eyes.

" _And_ ," Ygritte joked, "Nobody's going to go near him while he's with me."

Arya smiled. She opened the door, and peered outside. Arya could see the street lights were dimmed. The one nearest the house flickered. The two of them stepped outside, into the cold night air.

"Stay safe. I love you," Were Jon's last words to her. The door shut behind them, leaving both Arya and Gendry in the darkness.


	4. Arya

Chapter 4 ;

Jon's house was filled with a kind of emptiness that nobody but he could replace. It seemed too quiet. _Lifeless._ Arya knew it was stupid considering Jon and Ygritte had hardly made bundles of noise before. But perhaps, now because she knew they were gone, her mind was playing tricks on her. Tricks, but nothing more. 

Gendry sat opposite her at the kitchen table, swirling his coffee mug about for the last dregs. They sat in silence - Arya not feeling up to talking, and Gendry not quite having the right words to say to her. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall behind Gendry. Ten 'o' clock. Jon and Ygritte would be well away from Edinburgh by now. 

Arya bit her nails for want of something to do. Not that she was ungrateful for Gendry's company, but she would rather know her brother's whereabouts, _or even his intended whereabouts_ , right now. 

Gendry's eyes were on her. Arya met them, and he smiled sympathetically. 

"I'm fine," She said, almost instantly. 

He raised an eyebrow, "I didn't say anything."

Arya did not reply. Gendry stared at her curiously, and Arya motioned for him to say something. 

"What?" She said, a little too bluntly. But it could not be helped. Her mood had worsened as the day had slowly turned into night. 

Gendry did not reply straight away. Instead, he pulled away from the table, and sat up straighter. Then, leaning forwards again, he spoke. 

"He'll be fine, you know. He can keep himself safe."

Arya knew exactly who Gendry meant by 'he'. She smiled anyway. Anything to get Gendry to stop looking at her like that. She decided on a change of subject, and as always, it fell on Hot Pie. 

"Has Hot Pie tried to ring you yet?" She asked him. 

"Nah," Gendry laughed, "Probably hasn't even woken up yet." 

Arya grinned. They fell into silence again. An uncomfortable silence this time. One that she wasn't accustomed to in the presence of her best friend. Gendry was right. Hot Pie was most likely blissfully unaware of everything that was going on. Although she trusted him not to tell anyone that she and Gendry had left in the early morning. He was a little dim, but he wasn't so thick his head might as well be made of wood. 

With a sigh, Arya pushed herself away from the table. 

"I'm going to bed," She announced. Sleep would probably be a better option than sitting here brooding. In fact, she _knew_ it would be. 

Gendry nodded, "Alright," Without making any intention of following her. She was glad of it. She wanted the time alone - at least just for a little while. 

With one last look at Gendry - who returned it with a weak smile, Arya left the kitchen, leaving the door open behind her. Her legs carried her up the stairs, Arya never conscious of actually doing so. She reached the top of the stairs and automatically walked towards the room Ygritte had allocated to her. 

She reached the room and shut the door quietly behind her. The room was darker now than it had been before. There was no light provided through the small window - the moon having disappeared behind the other buildings. 

She shivered. Anyone could be hidden in the shadows. But that was stupid. Nobody had been in the house expect she and Gendry. 

Feeling brave, Arya took slow steps to the light that she could see outlined on the bedside table. She switched it on quickly and the room filled with light. She quickly checked each corner, but they were empty. She was safe. Arya breathed a sigh of relief. 

Besides, she was more than capable of looking after herself if there were anyone hidden. _And_ Gendry was downstairs. 

Still, she reached over to the small window, pulling the curtains around them tightly. The view outside them made her shudder. The houses were identical, and so there were four windows forming a square. There was no privacy. 

Once they were shut, Arya changed out of the clothes Ygritte had given her. She was sure Jon's girlfriend would let her borrow more clothes later if needs be. She reached down onto the floor where she had placed her clothes after the shower, and grasped Gendry's shirt in her hands. Despite her feelings that Gendry might be a bit unnerved by Arya's attachment to the shirt, she gripped the collar in her fingers and pulled it over her head anyway. It reached to her knees, and only the bottoms of her bare legs could be seen. 

She knew that Gendry would have to sleep in here too - she was uncomfortable with the thought of either of them sleeping in Jon and Ygritte's bed. But she would not let Gendry sleep on the sofa again. No. But she didn't want to spend the night alone either. Solitude was peaceful, and she might have been comfortable in it now, but Arya knew that before long, thoughts of her brother, Robert Baratheon, and the men who were after her would travel back into her thoughts. 

So, she pulled a pillow from the bed, and grabbed her hoodie from the floor. She lay down beside the bed, resting her head on the pillow, and pulling the hoodie over her body. The floor was hard and uncomfortable, but Arya didn't mind. Gendry needed a good nights sleep just as much as her. She closed her eyes, willing sleep to come. But it didn't. Whereas last night she had been too exhausted to worry about anything too excessively, today had given her more questions. _Jon knows who's after me, but he won't tell me. Surely if he told me I'd be better prepared. I'd know who to look for. And Bran. He had phoned Jon somehow. Why couldn't he do the same for her?_

Arya's head pounded. The thoughts seemed to drill into her temples with a never ending determination. 

She heard the door creak behind her. Arya's eyes flew open and Gendry was standing there, his frame illuminated only by the light. She saw his eyes flicker to her and he frowned. 

"Why are you on the floor?" 

Arya pushed herself up onto her elbows before answering, "Well you slept on the sofa last night, so I thought..." 

Her words trailed off. Gendry was looking at her oddly, "Now who's being stupid?" 

Arya's eyes widened, "But-" 

"You can't sleep on the floor Arya," Gendry stated it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "And is that my shirt again?" 

Arya looked down guiltily, knowing her makeshift blanket had fallen, revealing a portion of what in fact was Gendry's shirt. She bit her lip anxiously, "Yes. And I can sleep on the floor, and I _will._ "

"Arya," Gendry's eyebrows were raised. 

"Gendry." 

Arya stared at him, her expression not letting anything loose. He stared back, for what felt like an age, but was only a matter of seconds. But she could see his eyes clearly from here. Deep blue, hints of amusement tracing them. He was smirking at her. 

"What?" She said, with a somehow faked innocence. 

"Fine. Sleep on the floor," He sighed, and to Arya's alarm, began to change. She turned away from him, but just in time to see him remove his shirt. The muscles in his shoulders flexing. The way he scratched the back of his neck -

Arya bit down on the insides of her cheek hard. A blush had begun to work it's way up her neck, and she was glad Gendry couldn't see it. It wouldn't have been hard to miss and she knew Gendry would find a way to take the piss somehow. 

She felt him lean over her to turn the light off, but Arya's eyes remained closed. They had slept beside each other before, but for some reason tonight was different. Tonight she _wanted_ his company. No. Tonight she _needed_ it. 

She heard him get in the bed, pulling the covers over him. Silence fell again. But she knew neither of them were sleeping. She could sense it. With a sigh, Arya re-arranged her pillow, leaving her eyes open to stare at Gendry. His were closed, and he was facing her, meaning she could see every detail on his face. At least what she could make out in the dark anyway. 

The fringe of his hair framed his face messily. His mouth was open slightly, and one strong arm clutched the blanket like a child clutched their toy. Arya smirked. She would definitely make use of the fact if the time ever came. Gendry slept like a baby. It was cute really. 

As though he could feel someone watching him, Gendry's eyes flew open. He caught Arya's smirk, and he frowned. 

"What?" He said, looking confused. 

Arya grinned, "You sleep like a baby." 

Gendry's eyes widened, and if it were light enough, Arya knew he would definitely be blushing.

"How?" He asked her. 

"The way you're holding onto the blanket. It's like you're missing a teddy or something-" She stopped herself. Gendry was avoiding her gaze guiltily. 

"Oh my god!" She laughed, "You still sleep with a teddy don't you?" 

"No I-" But Gendry couldn't be heard over Arya's uncontrollable laughter. She laughed until her stomach ached, her sides splitting. 

"Shut up," She heard him grumble, but Arya still smiled. She had never seen him look more embarrassed. 

"Sorry," Arya apologised. But after a while, she was smiling again. 

"Do you still sleep with a night light too?" She teased, the grin spreading across her face. 

Gendry looked annoyed, but a flash of mischief crossed his face, "And who was it who slept with their _special blanket_ until they were fourteen? It's funny because I seem to remember you telling me - Oi!" 

Arya had slapped him on the arm, "We agreed not to mention that." 

"I'm just saying that I'm not the only-" Arya crawled closer to him, slapping him on the shoulder this time. Gendry responded with a smile, and without warning, he was leaning over her. Strong hands wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her onto the bed. Arya squealed, and fought against him - punching his shoulder and kicking him in the stomach. But if Gendry felt the hits he made no recognition of them. 

"Gendry!" Arya shouted at him, "Put me down now or-" 

She stopped herself. Gendry had one hand on her hip, the other on her waist. She was on top of him, breathing heavily from trying to escape. But now she couldn't. Gendry had her trapped. 

"Or you'll what?" Gendry's voice was low and the feeling she had once felt in her stomach began to stir again. 

She didn't reply. Neither of them were smiling now. Every part of her was screaming at the way his hands felt on her. And then he moved one. He took the hand from her waist and Arya fell forwards slightly. He brought it to her face, tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear. Arya's eyes followed his hand, until it remained on her cheek. A breath caught in her throat. 

"I'll..." Arya found herself saying, but she couldn't piece a sentence together. All the words jumbled together. 

"Stupid," She whispered, pulling his hand away from her face. 

Gendry seemed to remember himself then. He lifted the hand away from her hip, and lifted her gently so she was sitting on the bed with her back to him. He muttered 'sorry's' at her, but Arya wasn't listening. All she could think about was the way Gendry's hand had trailed her cheek. The way he had held her above him as though she was light as a feather. 

Her mind was set. 

Without saying a word, Arya turned around and slid her slender legs underneath the covers. She lay beside Gendry, who stared at her surprised for a moment. But he didn't question her. Instead, as Arya pulled the cover further towards her face, she felt Gendry wrap an arm around her, as he had done before to the blanket. Her eyes fluttered closed, and the thought dawned on Arya. 

_She was the thing he was missing._

* * *

Arya woke slowly, her eyes fluttering open as the room began to sharpen into focus. It would have been dark again had the light not been peeking through the cracks in the curtains. She'd slept through the night.

Arya yawned, and moved her head slightly. Someone stirred beside her. She froze. An arm was wrapped around her waist, a hand on her stomach, pulling her tightly towards him. 

_Gendry._

Arya's eyes widened. The memories of the last night re-emerged in her mind. _She_ had chosen to sleep beside Gendry, but he had happily obliged. What did that mean? Arya knotted her brow and bit her lip. She had to get out. Before Gendry noticed he was practically spooning her. 

That way both of them could pretend this hadn't happened. 

Gendry was strong, but the state of sleep meant his limbs were heavy. So Arya easily removed his arm from her waist, and slipped out of the bed as quickly as she could. She turned around to check he wasn't awake. 

He wasn't. 

But he was smiling. Arya didn't know whether he had fallen asleep like that or not. Before she could think on it further, Arya slipped out of the room, shutting the door as gently as she could behind her. 

Light poured through the hallway for the first time since she had seen it. On the families previous visit to Jon's home, she had never been upstairs before. And then, only Jon and Samwell had lived here. A lot had changed since that day, and it seems Jon didn't see fit to tell them. She felt pathetic to feel betrayed - Jon and Arya had always told each other everything. But she couldn't find it in her heart to be annoyed at him right now. She would have to tell him when all of this was over and they were a happy family again. Like they used to be. 

After borrowing several of Ygritte's clothes, and packing them in a bag in case Arya and Gendry had to make a quick getaway, she showered as quietly as she could. She didn't want to wake Gendry. Not when he looked so content. So free of worry. 

He found her though, a while later, in the kitchen, scrolling through the contacts on her phone with a piece of toast in her mouth. 

"Morning!" His voice was unusually cheerful as he sat down opposite her, and stole a piece of toast from Arya's plate. 

Arya forced herself to look at Gendry. His smile faltered when he saw the uneasy look on her face. 

"What's wrong?" He asked her, frowning. 

Arya bit her tongue before answering, "I was checking if Bran had tried to ring me through the night." 

"Did he?" 

Arya shook her head. She couldn't understand why Bran would ring Jon and choose to ignore her. Unless Jon had told him not to. But why would he do that? To protect her was the only answer she could think of. But still, a missed call would have meant a lot more to Arya than no contact at all. Besides, Arya didn't need protecting. She never did. 

Gendry said nothing, and broke the eye contact. If he remembered anything about last night, he was doing a good job at pretending otherwise. Arya knew she might have been over-reacting. They were best friends - they only slept beside each other. It would have been a totally innocent act if it had not been for the way Gendry had looked at her, and the way she had felt when he did. But she wouldn't allow herself to think what was at the back of her mind. Too much was going on, and that was the last thing she needed. 

"Arya," Gendry's voice forced her back to the present. 

"Hm?" She said, her voice distant. 

"Are you even listening to me?" 

Arya nodded her head. 

"Jon told me to tell you that we're not to leave the house until he finds a way of contacting us."

Arya groaned, "When was this?" 

Gendry suddenly took more of an interest in the toast he was eating. 

"Gendry." 

He met her eyes reluctantly and hesitated. Arya gave him a pointed look and he spoke, "When you went upstairs with Ygritte." 

"And what else did he say?" 

Gendry shook his head. 

"Gendry, tell me! I can't have you keeping secrets from me too," Her eyes were wide. _Pleading._

"Nothing." 

Arya swatted him on the head from across the table. Gendry flinched. Arya saw hurt flicker across his face. 

" _Please._ " She begged him. 

Gendry sighed, avoiding her gaze. "He told me... He told me not to _try_ anything with you okay? Which is ridiculous because I would never do that because your my best friend and - " 

He stopped, his face crimson. Arya raised her eyebrows without thinking. Her mouth ajar in surprise. 

"And that would never happen," Arya finished the sentence for him. 

"Right," He replied, eyes downcast. 

"Right," Arya repeated his words, her voice somehow disconnected. Gendry met her eyes again, and the hope she had not realized she had been feeling, began to fade. 

* * *

Time passed with no news from any of Arya's family and she was frustrated. To be left so long without a scrap of information raised several questions in her mind. _Do they trust me? Or is it that they think I'll do something stupid if I do know who's behind this all?_

Arya knew the latter was probably correct. Clearly none of them knew Arya's situation well enough. 

Twice now, Arya had tried to escape and Gendry had stopped her. She knew he was doing it on Jon's word, but she just wanted to go _outside._ Seeing the same walls everyday was driving her crazy, and whenever she mentioned wanting a bit of fresh air, Gendry would tell her to open a window. _Sarcastic twat,_ She thought with a scowl. 

They both kept silent about their first night here too. Both of them had some sort of mutual understanding that they could not go back on Jon's word. Sleeping in the same bed would definitely be deemed as going against it. 

Each night Arya and Gendry swapped between the floor and the bed, both of them refusing to let the other sleep on the floor each night. They were both as stubborn as the other. 

Everyday was spent sitting about idly, waiting for some kind of contact from the outside. Waiting for the doorbell to ring. Waiting for a phone call. But there was none, and Arya thought eventually she might just walk out the house. Watching the same daytime TV everyday would drive her crazy. 

Gendry always laughed at her whenever she complained as well, which served to make her even more angry. 

A week passed, and Arya and Gendry sat in the living room. Arya had a look of abandonment on her face, while Gendry looked bored. She glanced quickly at him, and then back at the television. Guilt pained in her stomach. It was her fault he was stuck here anyway. She wondered whether he'd been regretting the decision to follow her. 

But then again he could have just walked out right after they had been 'abandoned'. But he didn't. That counted for something, didn't it? 

She could feel Gendry's eyes on her this time. Watching her. _No. Studying her._ Arya didn't make any notion that she knew he was looking at her, so Gendry's eyes remained on her. She should have felt self-conscious. But she didn't. 

"Arya," Gendry's voice was little more than a whisper. He was sat in the armchair beside the door of the room, while Arya sat with her feet tucked under her legs on the sofa. 

She looked at him. 

Gendry smiled. 

Neither of them said a word, but both returned each other's stare. Arya waited for him to say something, but he remained silence. So Arya took it as her turn to talk. 

"Say something, stupid," Her tone was commanding, but Arya could not hide her smirk. 

"I-" 

Gendry was interrupted. They both stopped, heads turning towards the doorway. The doorbell rang a second time. 

 


	5. Arya

Chapter Five ;

The doorbell rang a third time.

Arya's eyes widened when they met Gendry's who looked just as alarmed as she.

"Jon?" She whispered his name, but Gendry shook his head. He nodded towards the TV and Arya hastily grabbed the remote control, turning it off as quickly as she could. When she looked back, Gendry was slowly stalking towards the front door.

"Gendry!" She said angrily, running up to him on light feet.

He brought a finger to his lips and she scowled.

Arya shook her head and pointed to the door, indicating for him not to open it. Gendry rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to open it," There was a tone of annoyance to his voice, but he still managed to remain quieter than Arya had been. That was new.

She trailed Gendry carefully until he stood in front of the door, and peered through the eye hole. That must have been how Ygritte realized who Arya was before she had even opened the door.

The moments of waiting were what killed Arya. Only a few seconds had passed but Arya felt as though she would be waiting forever. Half of her was willing to push Gendry out the way and fling herself into the arms of Jon. But Gendry seemed to think that it wasn't her older brother. And she trusted him. So reason told her to stay put.

She bit her nails anxiously. Until Gendry spoke without as much as a glance at her.

"I think we should get upstairs," He said.

Arya raised an eyebrow, "You do realize how that sounds, don't you?"

"I'm serious Arya," He turned to look at her, and Arya felt the beginnings of panic begin to stir. His eyes were wide with worry.

 _Bang._ The two of them jumped. Whoever it was knocked at the door impatiently.

"Miss Stark," The voice on the other side was commanding. Unfriendly.

Gendry nodded towards the stairs again, and it didn't take a second for Arya to react. Without thinking, her legs carried her up the stairs, Gendry following a little way behind her. They reached the upstairs hallway and the knocking on the door became louder. As though whoever was on the other side was trying to break the door down.

"Gendry who was it?" She asked him, her voice rushed with alarm.

"I don't know." He was frozen. Just as Arya had been the night she escaped the Red Keep.

That panicked Arya. Whoever it was had done something to terrify Gendry. And only she could make him see sense again. All the responsibility fell on her.

"Come on," She said, slipping a warm hand in his. Without checking to see if Gendry was following, she pulled him along the hall and into the room they both shared. She closed the door behind them and pushed a chair against it. _That would have to do._

She swerved back around and Gendry was staring at her quizzically, "Now what?"

"I-"

She stilled. An almighty crashing sound resonated from below them. Then footsteps. A dozen of them. Voices flooded into the house.

"Shit," Gendry stared at Arya, at loss for what to do.

Arya stared around the room hopelessly. There was nothing that could help them. Unless they wanted to fight a dozen potentially dangerous men off with pillows. Then her eyes landed on it.

"Window," She said to Gendry, running over to it with her heart in her throat. The last time she had tried to move it hadn't budged. She prayed to the Gods that this time it would.

The men’s footsteps were getting louder. They were upstairs now. Searching every room. Soon they would reach this one. And the window wasn't moving.

"Gendry," She called his name, begging him to help her. He reached over to her, placing calloused hands over hers.

"I count to three, and we both pull, okay?" The panic had disappeared from his eyes, an odd calmness filling them. Arya nodded.

"One," Arya noticed the bag she had packed beside the bed. Ready in case something like this might have occurred.

"Two," Gendry's hands gripped tightly over hers.

"Three," Arya pulled with strength she did not know she possessed, and the window flew open.

They both peered down. The drop to the next rooftop was about twenty feet. All she could see further than that was just blackness. Emptiness.

"Fuck. Um, Arya?" Gendry seemed to be gulping in air quickly. All the calmness from his eyes was gone now.

Arya ignored him, and grabbed the bag of clothes from the floor, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Come on," She said, the urgency in her voice growing as the men's footsteps got louder. They would reach the room any second now.

"Are you sure about this?" Gendry was glancing quickly from the empty abyss below them and then back to Arya.

Arya nodded, "We'll jump together."

Without letting go of Gendry's hand, she pulled herself out of the window, until she sat on the outside ledge. Her legs dangled precariously over the edge. Gendry still looked at her hesitantly.

"I'm scared of heights," He said, his voice rushed.

Arya had to suppress the urge to laugh and call him an idiot. Instead, she gripped his hand tightly, and pulled him towards her, "I'm not leaving without you. So either we either jump or we both stay here."

Gendry didn't move for a moment. He seemed to be thinking about taking the latter option.

Arya's expression hardened, "Gendry I swear to the Gods if you stay here-"

But he was already beside her. The door had burst open behind them and Arya glanced quickly at the men. They were dressed in black, with what looked like guns at their sides. She had never seen them before in her life.

But they were getting closer to her. Ready to grab her. They were so close -

Gendry pulled her hand.

They were falling.

* * *

 

When you read about people's experiences of falling out aeroplanes, they describe the sensation of feeling 'free', even just for a few moments. Jumping out a window however, just results pain _. Pain and nothing more._

Arya's eyes were shut tightly but she could still feel Gendry's hand in hers. His grip was loose. Arya opened her eyes in alarm, forcing the daylight into them. She quickly glanced up to the window they had jumped from. The men were still there, peering out. They looked slightly shocked if anything. _Good,_ Arya smirked inwardly, _that will give us a head start._

Pain seared through her unoccupied hand, all the way down to her right wrist. It didn't look broken - maybe twisted. She must have landed on it. But she didn't have time to think about that now.

She shrugged Gendry's hand and called his name. He responded with a groan. He showed no intention of moving.

"Gendry for fucks sake, don't start being an idiot now," She pulled herself onto her feet, and tried to heave Gendry upwards. She was overly conscious that the men were no longer at the window. More likely trying to trap them from below.

"I think I've broken my face," Gendry complained but he stood on his feet anyway. Arya snorted. There was blood trickling from his nose, but other than that, nothing too serious. They had been lucky really.

"I'm sure you'll survive," She walked to the edge of the rooftop. Opposite it, was another, which sloped downwards, into the alley they had arrived into the street through. Arya secured the bag she was carrying around her shoulder more tightly.

Gendry caught on to what she was thinking relatively quickly.

"Do I look like fucking Cat woman?" He was looking sceptically at each rooftop, and then at the gap between them. Darkness filled it, and Arya didn't want to take the risk of landing there.

"Should I answer that seriously or not?"

Gendry scowled. "Fine, but I'll go first -"

He was too late. Arya stepped back slightly, and then ran at the opposite rooftop with all the speed she could muster. She felt her heart stop as she crossed the gap. She was going to fall. She was going to miss the edge and fall to whatever death awaited her.

But she didn't.

Arya made the jump and she felt solid ground beneath her feet again. She'd made it.

"Hurry up!" She shouted at Gendry, who she could only just make out the features of. He looked nervous. He met Arya's eyes, and something shifted. A steely determination entered his expression and Arya wondered if she'd done that. He took a step back and ran. Arya sprinted forwards, ready to catch him.

It didn't take a second for him to reach her. Arya let out a squeal as he flew forwards, the force knocking Arya back a few steps. She took the hit with her injured wrist unfortunately. The pain worsened.

But Gendry was in her arms. That was all that mattered.

It took a few seconds for Arya to release him, her body unconsciously pulling him towards her. She forced her eyes to the ground.

"Come on," She said, and she ran towards the sloped rooftop. Gendry followed her without question, and they reached the alleyway below them. 

"There!" The men spoke in a thick London accent. Whoever had sent them was obviously after her for the same reasons Sansa had told her. But she had guessed that already. No. She had _feared_ it.

The men were yards away from them, looking ready to murder the both Arya _and_ Gendry. _It's my fault. It's my fault Gendry's stuck here with me._ She would have to persuade him to go home as soon as they were out of this.

"Arya," Gendry whispered her name in her ear in a low voice, and held her hand firmly in his, "Run."

It didn't take a second for Arya to come to her senses.

Then they were running.  Her feet met the solid ground below with such force that Arya knew she would have blisters later. Gendry was still ahead of her, pulling her into whichever direction he pleased. She knew he couldn't have any idea where he was going, any more than she did. But the distance between them and their captors was growing. _Her lungs burned_. It was a familiar feeling - one that she had become accustomed to, for she was always racing her brothers. But she knew she didn't have the energy to be running this fast. It was the adrenaline that was keeping her going.

Soon enough, they were out on the high street. Every person they passed gave them queer looks, but Arya didn't have time for apologies. She needed to save her breath.

And so they kept going. They passed endless rows of shops that seemed to never cease. She cautioned a glance back at the men. They were still following them, but she could no longer make out the features of their faces. Which meant they probably couldn't see Arya or Gendry's either.

Arya knew what she had to do.

The men were never going to give up chasing them, and the high street wouldn't last forever. If they kept running, their safety net would be gone. It would be easier for the men to capture them without a fuss.

They couldn't keep running. They had to hide.

Without a word to Gendry, Arya pulled him aside. She dragged him into the shop they happened to be passing, without a care for what it was.

The bell above the door rang as they entered, but Arya was already pulling Gendry towards the back of the shop. She had to make sure they were out of sight. They could not be seen.

Gendry seemed to have cautioned on to what Arya was thinking, and motioned for her to follow him behind a shelf. From there, they could see the shop windows, but they themselves were hidden. When the men ran past, they would remain unseen.

Arya still had Gendry's hand in hers. She dug her bitten nails into his knuckles so hard she thought she might have drawn blood. But if she had, Gendry said nothing. He only gripped her hand back just as tightly.

Time dawned on without the men passing. Arya was beginning to wonder whether they had just given up. But they hadn't.

Gendry's hold on her tightened, and Arya was sure he might break her hand. Until she realized what he was staring at. Arya inhaled shakily, as she noticed the men. They were walking now. Their eyes scanning the area as carefully as they could. She noticed the guns they were holding were now secured inside their jackets. They hadn't wanted to draw attention to themselves then.

Arya studied the unfamiliar faces carefully. At least then she would know who she was looking for. She buried the images in her mind, safe and locked away until she might need them again. She scanned each one, and at last her eyes landed on the last man. He was motioning for the men to go the other way, and they quickly followed him. But Arya got a clear view all the same. She saw him. She _recognised_ him.

Arya opened her mouth, her eyebrows raised. Bitterness welled up inside of her, and she could not help but loosen her hold on Gendry. The men were gone. But Arya was not free. She stared at the spot where the last man had stood, her eyes frozen on empty air.

"Arya?" Gendry's voice was calling her. He had noticed the subtle change in her expression. The way relief had not flooded her as soon as the men disappeared.

"What's wrong?" Arya could see Gendry's concerned face through the corner of her eyes. But she didn't look at him. The stupid part inside of her was telling her that if she looked away, the memory would disappear. But she knew it wouldn't. She knew his face well. She _trusted_ that face. Maybe not as she trusted her brothers, but her father practically saw the boy... man as family. But he was after Arya. He was part of the reason Robert Baratheon was dead. Which meant he wanted her father dead.

Arya bit the inside of her cheek hard, until the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Maybe if she didn't say his name, it wouldn't be true. Maybe she was mistaken.

But she knew she wasn't.

Gendry was still staring at her. Arya knew she would have to speak soon, otherwise he would probably claim her mad, and leave her here alone. _Maybe I should let him. He doesn't need to be in this mess._

But Arya knew she didn't want that. Not really. She didn't want the only person she had left to abandon her. And so Arya knew she had to speak.

Her voice was as empty as her expression. It seemed the two came hand in hand nowadays.

Without shifting her eyes, she spoke.

"Theon. It was Theon, he was there."

Gendry's expression hardened, "Theon _Greyjoy_? You're sure?"

Arya nodded. Finally, she looked at her friend. However emotionless her face looked, her eyes told him everything. Gendry looked at her sympathetically.

"Arya, I-"

"Don't," She told him. "I don't need you to be sorry. I'm fine. I never liked him much anyway."

Gendry didn't look convinced. But Arya spoke the truth. She had never particularly liked Theon. She thought he was a right git. The only time he ever spoke to her nicely was when he was drunk, and there were no other 'fancy-able' females in the room. She wasn't bitter for herself. She was bitter for her father. And Jon and Robb. All three of them were close to Theon, she knew. And none more so than Robb. _Does he know?_ She wondered.

But of course he did. Jon knew at least, which meant it was likely that Robb and her father knew too. She remembered the conversation she had eavesdropped on when she had first arrived at her brother's house.

_"The less Arya knows about this the better. She can't know when or why or who I'm going after."_

Those had been his words, hadn't they? But now she knew. She knew who he was going after. There was nothing Jon could do about that now.

Gendry stared at Arya, unsure of what to say next. But he said nothing. The sound from that came from the corner of the room made them both jump.

"A-hem," Arya flinched, while Gendry let out a tiny squeal. Arya looked at him, bemused.

"Did you just-"

"No." Gendry was doing his best to avoid Arya's eyes.

In the corner of the room, a man Arya presumed to be the shop keeper was staring at them, looking more than slightly confused. Arya cursed mentally. He'd probably been watching them from the moment they stepped into his shop.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked them, his polite manner forced.

Arya hesitated before answering, her manner equally fake, "No thank you. We'll just be leaving now."

She tugged at Gendry's hand, leading him out of the shop into the freezing cold air outside. They did not move for a moment, Arya catching her breath after holding it in the shop as best she could. When she could breathe again, she looked at Gendry and smiled.

"You screamed."

Gendry looked at her and frowned, "I did not scream, I just got a shock okay?"

Arya ignored him, "You screamed. Like a little girl. So teddies, nightlights and now screaming. Anything else you want to tell me?"

"I do _not_ sleep with a nightlight!"

"D'you and Hot Pie put pigtails in each other's hair when I'm not there?"

Gendry said nothing. He seemed to be doing his best to ignore every word she said. But Arya grinned, relishing in the reaction she got from him.

"Come on," Gendry pulled Arya in the other direction moodily.

"Where to?" Arya chirped back happily, glad she could get the image of Theon's face out of her mind. She could brood over it later.

"There was a hotel next to the train station when we arrived. We can stay there and then make plans in the morning." Gendry's voice still had an annoyed tone to it, and Arya felt guilt begin to bubble unpleasantly in her stomach. _He shouldn't be such an arse then. I was only joking,_ Arya told herself.

But she didn't have much time to think on it. Gendry was half-dragging her down the street to the hotel. He wanted to get there as quickly as possible, while Arya wanted to make sure they didn't run into Theon and the men who looked ready to kill them again.

Arya and Gendry bickered about it, but in the end, it turned out Gendry had been right. Arya stood beside him, while he checked them in the hotel. The assistant was a man, who looked like he was ready to fall asleep at any moment. He ignored Arya's stares, even though she was sure he knew she was watching him. Gendry was just about to pull away when the man addressed her.

"Under sixteen’s have to be with a parent or guardian," He then looked at Gendry, looking unimpressed, "Are you a parent or guardian?"

Arya frowned, "I'm sevent-"

Gendry nudged her elbow, stopping her from carrying on, "I'm her brother."

The assistant looked from Arya to Gendry, unconvinced. But after about five minutes of surveying them, he spoke again. "Fair enough," He sighed, and his attention was no longer on them.

Arya followed Gendry to the set of stairs, and pulled him back a step when they reached the top.

"I told you not to say you're my brother!" She whispered angrily at him, aware that anybody could be listening.

Gendry appeared calm, despite her anger, "Fine. You go and tell him you're actually seventeen, and when whoever's after who walks in and asks if there's any seventeen year old girls staying here, you can walk right in to their arms."

He continued walking, and Arya followed him into the hotel room.

She shut the door behind her, and leant against it hesitantly.

"Sorry," She murmured, but it was loud enough for Gendry to hear her. He turned to look at her, confusion flashing over his face for a second, before his expression softened.

"It's fine," He smiled, "I just don't want you getting caught okay? I want to protect you."

 


	6. Arya

Chapter Six ;

Gendry was blindly trying to wipe the dried blood from below his nose. Arya watched him, half-amused, half-frustrated that he just seemed to be making it ten times worse. His nose wasn't broken - or at least it didn't look it. But Gendry winced in pain every time he touched it anyway.

Arya pushed herself up, so she was sitting on the bed. She rested on her left palm, her right still swollen and bruised. Gendry had noticed of course, but Arya brushed off any attempts he made to try to help her.

He had protested that she had to go to the hospital, but Arya refused. What if they were spotted by Theon and his friends again? He had shut up after that.

Gendry winced again.

Arya tutted, and crawled over to him, who sat on the other edge of the bed.

"Give it here, you stupid bull," She motioned for him to pass her the piece of tissue he had been using. He looked at her stubbornly at first, but Arya gave him a pointed look. A look that indicated she was not in the mood for more arguments.

So, with a reluctant expression, he passed her the tissue. She took it from him in silence and began dabbing at the blood. Gendry's eyes watched her, the blue absorbed into grey. But she ignored him. She concentrated on the dimple in between his nose and lips. The blood that flowed down into his mouth. She slowed, removing the blood from in between his lips slowly. Gendry shivered.

Arya brought her eyes to his in question, but Gendry gave nothing away. His eyes were sparkling. Or maybe the fall from the window had done something to her head. Either way, Arya told herself she was being over-dramatic.

She pulled her hand away from his face, but didn't move away. Gendry placed a hand over hers, as though to take the tissue away from her. But he didn't move his hand. He entwined his fingers in hers. Arya noticed his face was curious, _cautious_ even. As though he was testing something out that he hadn't done before.

Arya smiled.

Gendry spoke, "You know you haven't called me that since we were little."

"Called you what?" Arya bit her lip.

"'Stupid bull'."

He was right. Arya had called him by the nickname without thinking. She had stopped using it years ago, seeing the way Gendry always used to scowl and turn away from her when she did. But he didn't seem annoyed now.

"Oh," Were the only words Arya could make out. Her attention was concentrated on Gendry's fingers, making circles in her palm. He brushed the tissue aside and returned his hand to hers. Arya blushed.

She said nothing as Gendry brought her injured wrist up to his lips and kissed it.

Her eyes widened.

Without thinking, she scooted closer to him. She rested her head between his chest and shoulder, and he brought an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. His other hand held her wrist, brushing it with his thumb. Arya bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying anything.

She knew this would come under Jon's terms of 'trying something.'

But for now, Arya was content to sit in Gendry's arms, without wondering what it meant. Gendry's fingertips traced the fabric around her waist lightly, and she felt all her attention go to them. Her mind travelled back the first night they had spent in Edinburgh. Gendry had held her then, without either of them saying anything afterwards. Would that happen again now?

Arya forced herself not to think on it.

Just for now, she could forget about Theon and Jon. She was safe _here._

She sighed, and buried her face closer to his shoulder. She felt Gendry look down at her, and he chuckled lightly.

"What?" She said, looking up at him, their faces inches apart.

"You were smiling."

Arya looked confused, "And how is that funny?"

Gendry grinned, "It was just... You looked happy. _Happy_ happy. I haven't seen you like that in a while."

"So you're saying I'm normally miserable," Arya teased.

"All the time," Gendry retorted. His grin faded a little, "No. It's just I... I like it when you smile."

"Oh?" Arya's eyes widened and she pulled her head away from Gendry slightly. She said nothing for a while, her eyes testing his. She studied his expression, looking for any hint that he was making fun of her. But there was none.

Arya didn't know how to respond to that.

"Gendry Waters, I do believe that is the first time you've complimented me. Ever," She said, in an accent that reminded her of her mother.

"But a person as beautiful as m'lady must always receive compliments."

He paused. Arya’s breath caught in her throat.

The words tumbled out Gendry's mouth so quickly, Arya had to double check herself to see if he had actually said them. But he had. And by Gendry's reaction he had not meant to.

He was blushing furiously as Arya untangled herself from his arms. She bit her lip nervously, and stood up off the bed.

"I'll um... I'm going to take a shower," She told Gendry, before walking in to the bathroom so quickly it was a wonder she didn't trip over on to the floor. She turned around, but Gendry wasn't watching her anymore. He looked as though he could never meet her eyes again.

Arya bit her nails, while staring at his back. Finally, she decided he wasn't going to say anything else to her, so Arya retreated in to the bathroom, shutting the door tightly behind her.

* * *

 

Arya turned the shower on, without any intention of actually getting in just yet. She stared in to the small mirror above the porcelain sink. There was a crack in the corner, which broke Arya's reflection into several smaller pieces. Then she stared back at her reflection.

Arya Stark stared back.

Her face was red, she noticed, and a hint of a smile still traced the corners of her lips. Even her eyes seemed to be more alive than usual. Was that what Gendry had been talking about when he said he liked her smile? 

And he'd called her beautiful. If it didn't seem so much like one of those cheesy films Sansa watched, then Arya might have been flattered. But she wasn't. An unpleasant feeling stirred in her stomach, and her mouth felt dry.

 _He's lying, to make me feel better._ Arya knew it to be true. Even though she couldn't understand why Gendry would think that would make her feel any better anyhow. He knew she didn't care for how she looked.

But Gendry's voice still replayed in the back of her mind.

Arya ignored it.

She took her time in the shower - not wanting to face the awkward air that she knew would present itself when she resurfaced. But she knew she couldn't hide forever.

She got out of the shower, dressed in one of Jon’s old shirts that she had packed, and did her best to dry her hair. Then, with a hand on the door, she pulled it open slowly.

Gendry lay down on the bed in the middle of the room. Which, Arya had noticed was a double bed when they first entered, of all things. The assistant downstairs clearly hadn't believed their story.

She'd rolled her eyes at first, but neither of them had said anything. She guessed one of them would be sleeping on the floor again.

Arya crept closer. His eyes were closed, but Arya couldn't tell whether he was asleep or not. _He's probably pretending so he doesn't have to explain he hadn't meant it seriously. That he was only joking._

But Arya knew Gendry was stupid - and more stubborn than she was when he wanted to be. He wouldn't admit to that anyway.

Arya pulled her mobile phone out of the bag she had packed, and switched it on. She knew the battery wouldn't last forever, but she had to check today. Maybe Jon had heard of what had happened, and had tried to get hold of her. Or Bran might have called as he had done to Jon.

But neither had. She had zero messages, and zero missed calls. And she didn't want to attempt ringing anyone just yet. Determined as she was to find out more, even Arya knew she needed rest. _And_ her wrist would never heal if they were always on the run. But she still had to know soon.

 _I'll ring in the morning, once we've left,_ Arya decided.

She still did not know where they planned to go. Where would be safe? Where wouldn't they be followed? And how was another matter entirely. The money Gendry had taken from the cafe was running low, and despite the fact she had borrowed some money from Jon, she knew it wouldn't last forever. They had to find somewhere to stay. And soon.

She switched her phone off quickly, and returned it to the bag. She couldn't afford to go leaving it around anywhere. It was the only connection she had to her family, and she wasn't about to lose it any time soon.

Arya shot a glance at Gendry. His eyes were still shut tight.

 _Kingslanding,_ the thought struck Arya quickly, _that's where we can go._

Arya was sure of it. It would be dangerous. And their journey to Edinburgh might as well be deemed pointless, but going back to where all of this had started would be the last place anybody would think to look.

They would be living right under their captor’s noses, but if they kept a low profile, it might just work.

Arya smiled to herself. She might even find her family in Kingslanding. Then she would know what in seven hells was going on too.

"Gendry," Arya said his name, looking at him with an excited curiosity in her eyes. She allowed herself to forget about their previous encounter.

Gendry opened an eye. _So he hadn't been sleeping after all._

He looked at her, silent.

Arya continued, "Kingslanding. We can go to Kingslanding in the morning. It's the last place anyone would expect us... me to be."

Gendry raised his eyebrows, surprised. He nodded his head slowly, "That might work. And Jon left his car, so we can use that -”

"He _left_ his car?" Arya interrupted a hint of annoyance to her voice. Why hadn't Gendry mentioned it earlier? And why would Jon leave it anyway?

Gendry nodded guiltily, "I wasn't supposed to tell you. Jon thought you might try to get away from the house..."

Anger sparked up in Arya's chest - what else had Gendry kept from her? "You would hardly let me look out the window! And how am I supposed to steal his car when I can't even drive?" 

Gendry shrugged, "I'm not going to apologise Arya. I was trying to protect you, like I've already _told_ you. Anyway, Kingslanding would be a good bet, but..."

He slowed, trailing off into thought.

"But?" Arya motioned for him to continue.

"But we can't go back to the cafe. And Hot Pie can't know we're there. I'm not saying he might let something slip, but the less he knows the better. For his own sake. _We've_ put him through enough already."

Arya noticed the emphasis he put on 'we'. It wasn't his fault. It was hers, really. But somehow Gendry made her feel less alone. She felt like she had someone to help her.

"Okay," Arya told him. She had no objections to keeping their location secret from Hot Pie anyway. Gendry was right. He was their friend, even if he was a bit clingy. It would be better if he was clueless if somebody went after him for answers.

"Okay," Gendry said in reply, and silence fell between them again. Arya stared at Gendry, as though to say something else, but no words left her mouth. She looked away quickly when Gendry's eyes met hers.

Gendry announced he was going in the shower, and he brushed past her towards the bathroom. She heard the door lock click and the shower turn on. She was alone again.

Arya sighed, and swiftly began to pull pillows from the bed, making a smaller one on the floor. She settled down on the floor and let herself close her eyes.

After a while, she heard Gendry leave the bathroom, and she quickly lay on her front, burying her head in the pillow. Sense told her she probably shouldn't watch Gendry get changed again. And for once, she listened to it.

She heard Gendry sigh, and she could imagine he was rolling his eyes at her.

"Are we going to have this argument again?" He asked her.

"No, because _I'm_ sleeping on the floor. There's nothing to argue about," Her voice was muffled by the pillow.

"Arya-"

"Shut up," She snapped.

Gendry said nothing after that. Her stomach bubbled unpleasantly while she slept, and that night, her dreams were filled with memories of Winterfell.

* * *

 

_Theon. He stood beside Robb, the two of them pointing and laughing at something in the distance. Arya scanned her eyes across the horizon of Winterfell's grounds. She felt a cool breeze pass through her hair, the flakes of snow falling at her feet._

_They were laughing at Jon, she could see. He'd slipped and fallen over flat on his face and was now scowling at the two of them._

_And Arya. She was laughing too.  Her face was split in to a wide grin._

_Jon now stood on his feet, and he made his way towards Robb and Theon._

_He didn't acknowledge her. It was as though she wasn't there._

_"Stupid," A familiar voice whispered in her ear. Their breath was hot against her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Arya spun around._

_But there was no one there. Arya breathed a sigh of relief. She must have imagined the voice._

_She turned back to her brothers, expecting them to be stood there, laughing as they had been. But they were gone._

_All that stood in their place was Theon. He wore black, as did the dozen men stood behind him. They glared at Arya. All traces of emotion were gone from their faces._

_"Arya," The voice was in her ear again. She gritted her teeth._

_"What?!”_

She awoke. Her breathing was heavy, and goose bumps trailed down her neck to her shoulder where the voice had been.

The dream had almost been real until then.

Arya stretched her legs, expecting to feel the rough carpet beneath her toes. But she was met with an unfamiliar feeling.

She opened her eyes wider, and frowned. The sheets beneath her were white. Fresh. Nothing like the hotel floor.

Arya sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she did so. She was on the bed.

She peered over the side, to find Gendry sprawled out on the floor, face down. He was drooling.

She would have smirked if she wasn't so annoyed at the realisation of what Gendry must have done.

Arya huffed, and pulled the duvet covers off her. She hopped over Gendry's legs and into the bathroom.

She switched the light on with a click. Today was the day they would be leaving. They would go back to Kingslanding, and Arya might finally get the answers she had been longing for. And Gendry would be able to leave her.

It took all of her willpower for her to force the thought that she didn't want him to, out of her mind.

Arya splashed her face with water quickly, bringing the reality back to the forefront of her mind. Her dream might have been a dream, but Theon had still betrayed them. Betrayed _her_.

She had to face that reality now.

She brushed her teeth and dressed as quietly as she could, intending to grab some breakfast before Gendry woke up. But she was too late. By the time she entered the room again, Gendry was already up.

He scratched the back of his neck absentmindedly when he saw Arya.

She looked at him, and frowned.

"You slept on the floor."

Gendry nodded and smirked at her slightly.

Arya returned the smirk, but the frown was still painted on her face, "If you weren't so stubborn, you might be a little less annoying."

Gendry grinned, "I'll take that as a compliment, M'lady."

His smile faded, and his eyes glazed over, as though he was thinking back to the past.

"You were shouting. In your sleep. I thought you were having a nightmare or something, so I tried to wake you but you wouldn't wake up. So I..."

His voice grew quieter. But Arya knew where he was going with his words. The image of him carrying her to the bed surfaced in her mind. She blushed, but hoped that Gendry would not see it.

"Thank you," She said quietly, and Gendry nodded with a modest smile. For a moment, she was tempted to tell him about her dream. About Theon. About the voice. But she brushed the thought aside. He didn't want to hear about that.

Gendry may have been her best friend, but he didn't want to hear about all her problems.

*

"A hair pin," Gendry stared at Arya, his voice dripping with scepticism, "You're going to steal a car with a hair pin." 

"I can't steal it - it's Jon's," Arya was now working at opening the door of Jon's car, while Gendry kept looking round nervously, as though somebody might catch them at any moment.

"Jon taught me. I used to help him steal Robb's car all the time. And both of them keep a spare pair of keys inside the car anyway. That’s part of the joys of coming from an overly prepared family."

Arya smiled, remembering what her father used to say to her. _Winter is coming_. She had never been quite sure of the meaning until now. It meant that the end was coming for all of them, no matter how fast they tried to run.

Robert Baratheon was just the first person to be caught.

"Done," She felt the lock click, and she pulled the door open with ease. She was just glad that Jon had opted for an older car, rather than a new one. She didn't want to imagine what would have happened if she set the car alarm off in the middle of the street.

That would be drawing more attention to themselves than necessary. Both of them were being overly cautious about being so close to Jon's house again anyway. Anybody could be keeping tabs on the house.

Arya slid into the passenger side of the car, and felt for the spare pair of keys which she knew would be hidden under the seat. _Got them_. Her hands clasped around the key and she passed them to Gendry, who was in the process of getting in the car, albeit rather more cautiously than herself.

The door slammed on his side, and Gendry sat beside her. He gulped nervously as he took the key of her, and inserted it in to the engine.

"No one saw us?" Arya wanted to double-check. Just in case.

Gendry shook his head, "No one."

"Okay.”

Gendry turned the key and the car roared to life. He pushed down on the pedal and they moved forward. Arya closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Whatever was waiting for them in Kingslanding would meet them when they got there.


	7. Arya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are going to be less frequent from now on because I have exams, I am sorry my friends xo

 

Arya slammed the phone down on the dashboard with a start. Gendry jumped.

"What in seven hells was that for?" He asked her, returning his attention back to the road.

Arya huffed, "They're not answering."

"Neither of them?" He glanced at her, and Arya caught the concerned look on his face.

"Nope," Arya picked her phone up and switched it off quickly. That way it couldn't be traced. "It's like they don't want to find me. Or me to find them."

She stared out the window, and pushed her feet forwards, scuffing the carpet.

Gendry looked at her again, "I'm sure there's a reason why-"

"Don't make excuses for them!" Arya shouted, her voice going unintentionally high as she did so. Gendry looked at her, offended. She bit her lip guiltily.

She lowered her voice, and spoke more softly, "I know there's a reason why. I just wish they would tell me. Even Bran knows more than me and he's fifteen. I've just been left to chase people around the country without a clue what for. All I have is Sansa and Jon's word and that's not enough."

Silence followed her words. She caught Gendry's eye and he smiled at her uncertainly. Arya frowned and rung her hands together nervously.

"We'll stop for a bit," Gendry announced, slowing the car down to turn off at a nearby service station. Arya nodded gratefully.

They had been driving for two hours, and she wasn't sure whether they had even left Scotland yet.

Gendry parked the car slowly, and Arya could feel half of his attention on her. Arya forced herself to remain silent. To not allow herself to get annoyed at him. But she couldn't help it if he acted as though she were about to burst into tears any second.

She wasn't sure whether she liked his newfound protectiveness over her. She didn't know whether it was sweet or stupid, _like him._

And the idea of Gendry being described as 'sweet' was one that made her squirm uncomfortably.

The car stopped. Arya looked up. They were facing out on to an empty field, and the sky was already hitting midday. Arya wound the window down.

Gendry looked at her.

"I'm fine," She said, the words leaving her mouth without her really thinking about them.

To her annoyance rather than surprise, Gendry smiled. "You keep doing that," He said.

"Doing what?" Arya turned to face him.

"Saying you're fine when I haven't said anything to you."

Arya scowled, "Well you keep looking at me. It's getting weird. All this protective shit you keep going on about. It's not like you."

Hurt flickered across Gendry's face for a second, but he masked it quickly. He replaced it quickly with a stubborn mask.

"Fine," He said, his nostrils flared.

"What?" Arya asked, confused.

"I said fine," Gendry unbuckled his seatbelt and pulled the car door open and slammed it behind him.

"Gendry-" Arya began, but she watched him ignore her, and he retreated into the distance. Arya lost sight of him quickly.

She stared forwards again, forcing her eyes ahead of her. She wondered briefly how long Gendry would be. How long it would be before he calmed down and came back to her.

But she quickly tossed the thought aside.

She knew it was her fault he left anyway. Arya had pushed him away too. Just like she did to anybody that tried to help her.

Arya scraped her tongue against her teeth. She opened the glove compartment idly, and found an empty box of cigarettes, and a packet of chewing gum. She slammed it to a close and sighed.

She unbuckled her seatbelt.

Without a thought about it, Arya grabbed the car keys from where Gendry had left them, and got out of the car. She closed the door and locked it.

The wind blew across her face and Arya breathed deeply. It was colder now. Winter almost. She stepped away from the car. One step further. Another. And another until the car was out of sight.

Arya settled herself on the vast field that lay behind the service station. She pulled out pieces of grass roughly and threw them aside. She closed her eyes and let herself imagine it was Sansa. It was Jon. It was Gendry.

Frustration filled her, and Arya couldn't make it disappear this time.

She knew she shouldn't have been so blunt with Gendry, but she couldn't understand why he would get so offended. What she had said was true - him being as protective as he was, _was_ getting weird. It did nothing but fill Arya’s mind with confusion.

But it was his own fault. _His and not mine. He'll come back soon. He's just being stupid._

Arya ignored the thought that Gendry might have left her for good. It made her breaths shaky and her heart pound heavily against her chest, so much so that she could almost hear it in her ears.

It made her nervous.

The man's voice surprised her. She jumped, and her eyes flew open.

"Y'Alright love?" She couldn't make out his accent. His words were slurred.

He was standing above her, looking down with a nasty glint in his eyes. He was bald, and aging, wearing a thick, woollen jacket.

"Yes." Arya kept her answers short. Maybe the man would leave her alone. 

"You all by y'self?" His tone was offensive, rather than concerned. Arya forced herself to her feet.

She looked the man straight in the eye. "Leave me alone," She tried to keep her voice confident and unwavering. But she bit her lip out of nervous habit anyway.

The man didn't seem to take the hint. He advanced closer towards her, clasping a cold hand around her wrist in a tight grip.

"Come with me, I'll help you find your way home," He smiled, showing a set of yellowed teeth.

Arya shook him off her wrist, and backed away from him. "I said leave me alone!"

She glanced around quickly. There were people around, sitting beside their cars. If she screamed, somebody would have to notice. The man would be forced to leave her alone.

"Tell me where your car is," The man continued to advance towards her, "I'll drive you away from here."

He stood in front of her again, so close that she could smell the stale alcohol on his breath. She wondered how he had even managed to drive here without crashing.

Arya froze. He held both her wrists in his hands, ready to pull her away as soon as got the chance.

But she wouldn't let him.

She panicked.

"Gendry," Arya whispered his name under her breath, "Gendry!"

Arya drove her knee into the man’s crotch, and he cried out in pain. His grip on her slackened, and she pulled her hands away.

Arya didn't look back.

She ran straight towards the service station, her heart beating wildly in her ears. She needed to find Gendry. She needed him to keep her safe.

She had been wrong before.

Gendry was just leaving as she entered. Arya crashed into him with force, and he shouted out in surprise.

"Arya?" He looked at her, worry wandering all over his face. He knew something was up straight away.

He guided her outside, a steady hand around her waist. Arya's breaths were heavy. She wasn't sure whether it was because of the running or whether it was because of her nerves.

Either way she cursed herself for not being quicker to react to the man.

If she hadn't of been so distracted she would have told him where to go as soon as he stepped towards her.

She had felt defenceless. _Weak._

She hated that she hadn't stood up for herself sooner.

Gendry looked at her seriously. Arya knew she had to tell him.

"T-There was a man. He was drunk... H-He wouldn't leave me alone," She paused, steadying herself, "I... I didn't know what to do," She finished rather pathetically, and avoided Gendry's eyes.

Gendry's reaction wasn't what she would have expected. He stood tall, removing his hands from her waist. He grinded his teeth angrily. He looked intimidating. Unlike what Arya was used to seeing him like. There was something in his eyes that told Arya he was capable of anything. He _scared_ her.

"Arya..." He was avoiding her gaze now, while Arya looked at him with wide eyes. He continued, "Did he hurt you?"

She paused. She knew whatever she said now meant the difference between Gendry staying with her, and him finding the man and punching him on the nose. She thought about the way the man had held her wrists. The look in his drunken eyes.

But she didn't care.

She couldn't tell Gendry. He'd probably do something stupid and get himself arrested. That was the last thing they needed.

Now it was her turn to protect him.

"No," She said, hoping her voice didn't shake. "I hurt him, I reckon."

She smiled unconfidently at Gendry, but the smile felt unfamiliar and tainted.  Gendry's expression softened, but he didn't back down. He was looking around for the man, tapping his feet anxiously.

"Gendry," She pulled his hand towards hers, trying to offer him what small comfort she could. "I'm sorry, I panicked. I didn't mean to scare you. But I'm fine. He didn't touch me," She added her last sentence on quickly, hoping he wouldn't spot the lie.

Gendry looked down at their hands, and frowned. The anger was gone from his eyes when he looked at her. Frustration and worry had replaced it.

"I..." He started, but his voice seemed to catch in his throat. He nodded earnestly, and gave her a small smile, "Sorry."

Arya returned the smile, "It's okay. There's nothing to be sorry about."

He didn't say anything in reply. His eyes bore into Arya, as though searching for something that he couldn't find. Any hint of a lie that Arya hadn't hidden. But Arya knew how to hide the truth well. And Gendry wasn't going to discover it.

"Hey," She continued, her words hesitant. "I didn't mean what I said before. About you being protective. I was being stupid. I... We need to protect each other, I get that now. It's you and me, yeah?"

To Arya's surprise, Gendry grinned at her. The same goofy grin he gave to her all the time. Her chest felt light, the weird fluttering sensation began in her stomach again. She felt giddy.

"You and me," He replied, and he gave her hand a squeeze. There was silence between the two for a second, before Gendry spoke again. "We can leave here if you like, we'll stop for food at the next station."

Arya nodded, "Okay... Thanks Gendry," She added on as an afterthought.

Gendry did nothing but grin at her. He pulled her towards the car, with his hand in hers the entire time.

And Arya knew she didn't want to leave Gendry again, not even for a second.

* * *

 

They were driving. Well, Gendry was driving. Arya sat beside him silently, her eyes drooping with sleepiness. The sky was dark and the roads around them empty. How long they had been driving for, Arya did not know, but she knew they would have to stop soon, before both of them fell asleep.

She looked at Gendry. He kept his eyes intently on the road, and she could see how hard he was trying not to close his eyes.

He was squinting, scrunching his face up into an odd expression.

Arya snorted and Gendry turned to face her.

"What?" He yawned, without taking a look at her.

Arya shrugged. "Your face."

Gendry smirked at her bemusedly, but said nothing in return.

Arya sighed, and rolled her head back onto the seat. She could almost have fell asleep in the silence if it wasn't for the car stereo humming in the background. Arya had chosen from Jon's CD collection in the car almost immediately, brushing away most of them, but finally settling on the last one she found.

It was labelled 'To Ygritte.'

Arya would have turned her nose up at her brother's soppiness, if it weren't for the fact that she recognised most the songs from their days in Winterfell. The ones Jon had played on repeat. The ones Arya had listened to with him.

If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was back there with him.

But she didn't.

Instead, she forced her attention onto out the car window, where the roads were dimly lit by the occasional streetlight.

She looked up.

The night sky would have been empty if it wasn't for the dozen stars that dotted the space randomly. The moon was full, and it shone down brightly at them. They were in the middle of nowhere, she realised. They had escaped. They could stay here for as long as they liked.

She and Gendry could be free from everything.

But Arya knew she couldn't do that.

She smiled anyway. A peaceful sort of smile that she only smiled when Gendry was around. She couldn't explain why that was.

_Maybe it was because he told me he liked it._

The voice nagged in the back of Arya's mind, but she pushed it away.

Arya yawned.

Gendry spoke to her, "Do you want to stop?" His voice acted as a wake-up when she had almost been falling into sleep. But she didn't mind.

Arya turned to him, and nodded, the smile still plastered over her face.

Gendry returned the smile, and diverted his attention from her. She watched him as the car slowed, and he turned off the road. He drove them down a winding country road, and the car bumped over every stone and dent in the road. Finally, He parked them in a conveniently placed car park for tourists.

Arya looked out the window. It was still dark, but she could see that they were overlooking a cliff edge. In front of them, was a fence placed as a barrier over the edge, with a sign on it that read 'no overnight parking.'

She looked to Gendry, but he didn't appear to be bothered about that. Nor was she.

There was nobody around for miles, and she doubted anyone would find them here. As she had thought, they were in the middle of nowhere.

Gendry smiled at her, "You can sleep in the back if you like."

Arya nodded, unwilling to start another argument about who was sleeping where when she felt as content as she did.

Without getting out of the car, she clambered over the seats and into the back of the car. They had no blankets or pillows, but they at least they weren't outside. And at least nobody could find them here. At least they were safe.

Arya lay down, spreading her legs out so they touched the car door opposite her. She felt awkward, but she was small enough to fit.  

Her eyes closed, just as Gendry's did, and neither of them felt the need for anymore conversation. That was just the way it was between the two of them. It was the way it had always been. Neither of them were good with words.

Arya's mind drifted to Gendry completely. She thought she'd almost lost him today - but she hadn't. He'd found her again just as Arya had found him. She remembered the way she had thought of him as soon as she panicked. The _need_ she felt to find him again. Arya didn't want to rely on him. She wanted to fend for herself. But she had been so scared that her instinct was to go to him, and no one else.

She didn't think of Jon, or Robb or her father. She had thought of him. And that petrified her more than she was letting on.

Gendry groaned, and she could hear him shuffling in the seat.

_I don't want to leave him,_ she realised. She didn't want to tell him to leave her when they got to Kingslanding, no matter how much she had to.  She _wanted_ him to stay with her.

"Gendry," Arya's voice sounded in the darkness, without her thinking.

"Hm?" She opened her eyes, and saw Gendry looking at her, an eyebrow raised in concern.

Arya bit her lip.

"Can you... Do you think you could come here? Sleep here too, I mean." She could feel herself blushing furiously. She'd never felt more _stupid_ in her life.

But Gendry didn't question her.

Arya pressed herself against the back of the seat, trying to allow more room for him. Gendry got out of the car instead of climbing over the seat as she had, and she closed her eyes as she felt him get in the back with her.

The next time she opened her eyes, he was there. She was eye-level with his chest, and she knew he was watching her. Arya wriggled closer, tangling her feet in his. She curled a hand up against him, and she felt her breaths hot against his torso. Gendry wrapped a strong arm around her, and she felt herself being pulled towards him.

She kept her eyes open. She knew Gendry had as well.

They hadn't slept this close to each other since the night neither of them spoke about.

Arya wasn't sure whether she felt better or worse for his company. But she knew one thing. She didn't want him to leave her.

"Arya," Gendry spoke her name unexpectedly, and she felt him turn his head downwards. He was looking at _her._

"Gendry?" She replied with his name, and she could feel her heart beating against her ribcage in anticipation as to what he was going to say.

Gendry hesitated, but spoke anyway, "What is this?"

Arya didn't answer. The hand she had on his chest told her that his heart was beating as fast as hers. He was as nervous as she.

"I..." Arya didn't know. She just _wanted_ Gendry to be nearer to her. And she had spoken without thinking. It wasn't as though she had planned this.

She looked up, and he was staring intently at her. In the darkness, she could only just make out the outline of his face. For a second, she thought she saw his eyes flicker to her lips. But she must have imagined that. For the next second, he was staring back into her eyes.

"I don't know," She said truthfully. Arya bit her lip again. Gendry was definitely looking at her lips that time. The thought made Arya excited and anxious at the same time.

She shifted closer to him, and she clawed her fingernails around his shirt. But she kept her eyes on his.

In the morning, they would forget about this. They wouldn't speak of it ever again. It would become a secret - hidden in both of their minds. But for now, Arya could be whoever she wanted to be.

Arya allowed her eyes to roam Gendry's face - across the fringe that scattered over his forehead, the eyes that still shone blue still in the darkness. And to the dimple between his nose and lips.

His breathing became faster, as Arya drew her face closer to his. She frowned for a second, before she brought a hand to his face, tracing the outline of his lips.

His eyes fluttered closed.

It was Arya that brought them together, their noses and foreheads touching.

But it was Gendry that kissed her.

The kiss was quick, but his lips were gentle against hers. His hand was on her waist, clinging onto her desperately.  He had brought the other up to her chin, pulling her closer to him.

Arya couldn't help but smile against the chaste kiss. And Gendry smiled too as he pulled away.

Neither of them said anything afterwards. But Arya stayed close to him and he pressed another kiss to her nose, and another to her forehead, resting his chin above her head. He tangled his legs between hers, and Arya buried her face between his shoulders.

And they stayed like that, until the sun rose, and Arya Stark remembered who she was again.


	8. Arya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5 more weeks until I can begin updating this regularly again. I'm hoping it'll fly by (fingers crossed).

Arya scrunched her nose blindly, turning over onto her back as she did so. She stretched her legs out, her feet reaching the solid car door below her. Sleep had made her limbs heavy, and Arya would have been quite content to stay so for the rest of the day. But she couldn't. She wasn't in Winterfell anymore.

She was on the run, and the alarm that she felt constantly had not ceased even with sleep.

Arya's eyes snapped open.

She was in Jon's car, in the same place it had been parked the night before. But she was alone. There was someone missing.

_Gendry._

Arya pushed herself up in to a sitting position and looked around for her friend. But he wasn't in the car.

The sun was just beginning to appear over the mountains in the distance - dawn was breaking out. Wherever Gendry had parked them must have been some place so remote that nobody had bothered them all night.

And then her eyes landed on him. _Gendry_ , his back hunched over with his legs dangling over the cliff edge they were parked on, smoking one of Jon's cigarettes.

Arya frowned, remembering his fear of heights. Something had seemingly changed that. Or some _one._ Arya didn't need three guesses who.

 _Me._ Instead of being confused as she would have been, Arya felt a rush of affection for her best friend. She knew what had changed that. But she wouldn't admit it to herself. No. They wouldn't speak of it. Gendry wouldn't want to mention it, and she wouldn't say anything to him.

But Arya also didn't want to pretend she didn't know what was going on between the two of them anymore. She wasn't a child - She _knew._ But she was perfectly fine with pretending it _hadn't_ happened, if that would keep Gendry happy.

She wouldn't even admit it to herself.

Even so, Arya knew she had to speak to him eventually. Better to make it sooner, rather than later.

With a heavy sigh, she unlocked the car door, and put one foot on the solid ground. The gravel moved beneath her feet, and Arya kicked it, making a cloud of dust swirl around her. She closed the door behind her with a loud noise.

Gendry didn't stir.

Slowly, _anxiously,_ perhaps, Arya stalked towards her friend. She picked up her pace as she got closer, until she stood beside him, with her hands buried deep in her pockets.

"I thought you'd stopped," Arya said with a reluctant smile, indicating to the cigarette.

Gendry made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a laugh, "Old habit."

She bit her lip, and sat beside him on the ground, keeping her legs crossed. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, and a cool breeze whipped around Arya's hair. She pulled the hood on her coat up.

Arya leaned towards him slightly, and nudged his knee against hers. He smiled without turning towards her. She watched him as he stubbed the cigarette out and flicked it off the edge of the cliff.

"Hey," She said, her voice uncertain, "You okay?"

Gendry didn't answer straight away. Instead, he kept a determined eye ahead of him, as though staring at Arya would mean he would have to answer. He opened and closed his mouth stupidly.

When he did answer, his words were harsher than Arya would have expected.

 "No of course I'm not _fucking_ okay, okay? I feel like some sort of child snatcher, and after last night I'm sure I could be arrested for paedophilia."

He sounded downtrodden and disappointed. Arya gasped in surprise that he even wanted to discuss the subject. But she said nothing. And she did not press him to speak, either.

Gendry looked down at the floor, and kicked his feet off the hard ground.

"I just..." Arya snapped her head towards him, waiting for more words to escape his mouth, but Gendry stopped himself from saying whatever he had wanted to say.

Now Gendry was staring at her, the blue of his eyes absorbed intently into hers. He frowned, and looked away again.

"I'm sorry. It was wrong, and I promise it won't happen again. It _won't_." He stood up then, and brushed past Arya without another word. Arya scowled and made to chase after him.

"Gendry," She said, but he didn't look back. He pulled the car door open, and sat down inside.

"Gendry!" Arya shouted his name, annoyed now. She just wished he would stop being so _stubborn._

She walked around the other side of the car, and sat in the passenger’s seat beside him.

"So that's it?" Arya was surprised at the anger in her own voice. She hadn't meant it to be so.

"Yes." Gendry answered simply, without a glance at her.

Arya breathed out quickly and scowled at him. But Gendry didn't start the engine. He sat there in silence with her, for what, Arya did not know. She had to be calm. If she was, then Gendry would be. Then they would both be able to see sense.

She flexed her hands, and looked away from him.

She bit her lip before her words.

"Gendry." Arya started, and he looked towards her, making Arya blush involuntarily. She would curse herself for that later. "It's fine. I won't tell anyone. I..." Arya took a brave breath, and continued lamely, "I liked it. It was... nice."

She saw Gendry's expression soften out the corner of her eye. She leaned back in the chair, relieved.

Arya averted her eyes to him.

"But I think we should start again, if that's alright with you. Pretend it didn't happen. Pretend _nothing_ happened. I still need my best friend."

She smiled at him reassuringly. She had spoken true. She did _need_ him.

Gendry nodded at her, and muttered something in agreement. He started the car engine, and began to drive away, avoiding Arya's eyes continually.

But no matter how much they pretended, or tried to forget it. Gendry had still kissed Arya, and Arya had kissed him. And knew she wouldn't be forgetting that in a hurry.

* * *

 

"I want to ring them," Arya strode towards the public telephone box confidently, Gendry trailing behind her. He kept shouting at her to come back to him - to get back into the car. But Arya was ignoring him.

Gendry had stopped them at a nearby petrol station, and while Arya was waiting in the car, the thought had dawned upon her. What if her family were _purposely_ ignoring her calls? What if they didn't want to speak to her, for whatever reason? If she didn't use her own phone, they might answer.

So she had got out of the car, and Gendry had chased after her as he always did. The old-fashioned phone box looked like something you might find in Doctor Who - an obsession she and Bran had shared since they were children. She knew it was foolish to be reminded of that when so much had happened since their days back in Winterfell, but she could still not push away the thought that this time she _might_ just get lucky. This time someone might answer.

She stepped inside the box, and Gendry followed her in. The close proximity between them made Arya frown, but she said nothing. Right now, she was more concerned with ringing her brothers than starting _another_ argument with Gendry.

She would give him his due though - he was pressed against the door of the phone box, as far away from her as her brother would deem acceptable.

They met eyes for a split second, and he seemed to understand that stopping Arya from getting what she wanted was not a good idea. So Arya broke the contact, and turned around to the phone.

She would ring Jon first, she decided. Then Bran. And then her father. Her father was a last resort. She didn't know what sort of state he was in, and whether he knew about Theon or not. If _he_ answered, she didn't think she could keep that from him.

She put the money into the machine, and rang Ygritte's number. She knew that Jon had left his phone with a friend, and had found his girlfriend's number written on a sticky note, stuck on the fridge. Arya rolled her eyes. It had almost been as if Jon had _wanted_ her to find it.

The phone rang. And rang again. But there was no answer. She shouldn't have expected anything less, after the zero contact she had received from them so far. But she had been so _sure_ they might pick up this time.

She sighed, and pushed the phone back into its holder. She skunked to the back of the phone box, and looked at Gendry dejectedly. He gave her an encouraging smile in return.

"What about Bran?" He asked her. Arya knew Gendry had never met either of her younger brothers, but she had told him all about them of course, and he knew she was very fond of them.

Arya rolled her lips. "What's the point? I should have known nobody would answer."

She looked away from him, and there was silence. She thought Gendry might have given up on her then. But he hadn't.

"Arya Stark," His voice was low and commanding. He stepped closer to her, and pulled the phone off its holder. He pulled a hand towards him, and placed the phone in it. "When have I ever known you to give up? _Ring Bran."_

Arya glared at Gendry - partially annoyed that he seemed to think he had some sort of power of persuasion over her, and also that it was actually working.

She gripped the phone more tightly in her hand, "Sometimes I'm not sure whether I love you or hate you."

Gendry flashed her a goofy grin, and stood away from her again, giving Arya room to put more money into the machine and dial her younger brother's number. The familiar ringing sounded again, and continued to, with no answer. Arya bit her lip hard.

She was ready to put the phone down when it answered. Arya gasped in surprise when her brother's voice sounded on the other line.

"Hello?" His voice was familiar, and Arya could not help the small smile that crept on to her face. "Who is this?"

Arya paused. What should she say? What did she even _want_ to know? Most of the arguments she had prepared were for her older brother, Jon. She hadn't planned anything to say to Bran.

She breathed slowly, and finally, she spoke. "Bran? It's Arya."

It was quiet for a second. Her brother said nothing. Then another voice sounded. One that was younger than Bran's, but familiar to her all the same. It came from the background, as though somebody were shouting across the room.

"Who is it Bran? Can I speak to them?" His voice was excited and full of energy, just as her brother Rickon had always been. Arya was grinning now.

"Rickon?" She asked down the phone, waiting for another answer from either of her brothers.

And she got one.

"Arya?" Bran's voice was a mixture of shock and relief, "Where are you? Are you alright? Is anybody with you?"

Her brother's questions came tumbling out one after the other, and Arya struggled to think of the answers in her happiness.

"I'm fine!" She said, sounding a little more exasperating than she had initially meant, "I'm with a friend - Gendry. The one from Kingslanding I told you about. I've been ringing you for days, I thought something had happened! Are you safe?"

There was a pause before Bran answered, "Yes. And I'm sorry about not answering," He hesitated for a moment, before continuing, "Mum wouldn't let us answer any calls from any of the family. She's out now. Rickon answered the phone. I'm _sorry_ Arya."

Arya pushed herself back against the wall of the phone box. It was funny, she thought, how Bran was younger than her, yet he somehow had a way of seeming _years_ older.

"But you rang Jon," she said the words with a frown.

Bran made no signs of denying it, "I know. I did it without telling mum, you know how she feels about him. And he _needed_ to know everything from one of us rather than turning on the TV and finding it on the news."

Arya nodded, even though she knew Bran could not see her. She hesitated for a moment, glancing at Gendry. He said nothing, but stared at her kindly.

"Where are you?" She said back down the line, biting her lip as she did so.

Bran sighed, "You know I can't tell you that - And I don't know where the others are either," He added on, hearing Arya about to interrupt him.

"But surely you must have some idea Bran! _Please._ I need to know where Jon is. Or Robb. Or dad!"

There was a pregnant pause between the two of them then. Arya waited for her brother's answer, her breath held in her throat. While she could hear Bran breathing on the other line, debating how to answer her.

Finally, he did.

"Look, Arya. I promise I don't know where they are... But I overheard mum talking last night. I think she was on the phone to dad. They were talking about Robert Baratheon - I didn't catch most of the details. But she sounded like she'd been crying, and she would barely speak to Rickon or me afterwards. She's seemed distant ever since then. I've _tried_ talking to her, but she keeps saying it's best if we don't know. I-"

"Theon." Arya interrupted Bran instantly, without thinking about what her next words would be.

"Arya, what?" Bran's voice sounded confused if anything.

"She was upset about Theon. _He's_ part of this. That's why we didn't see him at the engagement party. He was busy helping whoever killed Robert Baratheon."

"How do you know?" The familiar curiosity sounded down the phone, one that she was used to hearing from Bran. A tone that reminded her of how things _had_ been.

"He..." She paused, preparing herself to re-live the memory. The way her heart had been in her throat when she saw him. The malice look in his eyes. "He came after me and Gendry, with the other men. They had guns and I knew they didn't want me to take me home. We escaped, but only just... Do you think mum knows?"

"No." Bran's answer was short and simple. And it was blunt enough to confuse Arya. "I don't think mum would be so upset about Theon. I mean, she _would_ be. But she was distraught when I heard her. Arya I think... I think something's happened with Sansa."

"What?"

"I don't know. But she kept mentioning Sansa's name on the phone, and she hasn't spoken of her since. Which is weird, because she used to mention you and Sansa and Robb all the time. She worried about you constantly. But since then, she hasn't spoken a word about any of you."

Arya frowned, and she pushed away the worry that was knawing at the edge of her mind. She clutched the phone tightly, and spoke her next words with a forced determination that she was not sure she quite had.

"What's happened to Sansa?"

"I don't know, Arya." Bran's voice sounded desperate. Helpless. Much more the like fifteen year old boy he was.

"I've got to find her," Arya murmured, more to herself than Bran. She raised her voice, focusing her attention back on the phone, "I've got to find her Bran. If something's wrong. I have to make sure she's safe. She saved me... I'll speak to you later."

"Arya-"

She slammed the phone back down on its holder, breathing heavily. She took a few moments to steady herself, before looking at Gendry.

When she did, he raised an eyebrow in questioning at her. But Arya didn't answer. She needed to leave now. She needed to get to her sister.

"Move out the way," Gendry was blocking the door, and Arya tried to push him aside with little success. Arya growled in frustration, "Let me out, stupid!"

Arya's anger seemed to have little effect on him. It never did. He always seemed to remain calm while she felt ready to murder somebody. In turn, it normally calmed Arya too. But this time, it didn't help.

"What did Bran say?" Gendry stared coolly in to her eyes, but there was a softness behind them that never faltered.

"Gendry, move out of the way of the _fucking_ door." Arya spoke through gritted teeth.

"Arya."

"Gendry." Arya glared at him stubbornly, and Gendry stared back. Arya let out a grunt of anger and bit down on her lip hard. "Sansa's in trouble okay? Now let me out!"

She made to shove him on the shoulder, but Gendry was ready to move anyway, so she flung herself into the door, and flew out the other side on to the floor. She raised her head to Gendry, expecting him to have a smug smile on his face. But he did not. He was looking at her seriously, before finally stepping out of the phone box to help her.

He put a hand out to her, and Arya took it with a scowl on her face.

"Sorry," He said, looking sheepish. Arya ignored his apologies as she brushed herself off.

She stormed away from him, back to the petrol station where the car was parked. She could feel him following her, but Arya paid Gendry no mind. He could follow her all he wished, as long as she got to Sansa.

She reached the station at once, the sound of the news station on the radio from another car playing in the distance. But Arya didn't listen to the sound, until she reached their car, when something caught her attention, making her stop and listen.

The news reader had a formal tone about his voice, no sympathy was woven in between his words. He'd obviously done this before.

"A girl has been found dead in Kingslanding, near London yesterday evening. Her identity is classified, but she was thought to have been staying at the prestigious Red Keep in the area, home to the late Robert Baratheon. Inquiries are being made into the case, but so far there has been little success..."

The voice trailed off. Or maybe it was Arya who had stopped listening.

It was Sansa. She knew it was. The girl found dead had been Sansa. Who else had been staying there?

Arya had just enough time to catch a last breath in her throat, and to feel a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, before her vision faded from colour to black. 


	9. Arya

A red mane of hair. Crystal blue eyes. A scream. That was what she saw every time she closed her eyes. She wasn't quite sure whether the scream was hers or somebody else’s. But it was familiar. Familiar enough to send a chill that walked down her spine on light and dainty feet.

But she kept her eyes shut tight anyway - to open them would be to accept the harsh reality that she knew already existed.

Somebody's hand was in hers, clutching her fingers tightly. She said somebody, even though she knew who it was.

It seemed Gendry was just as scared to let her go, as she was to let go of him.

But she would never admit to that to him. At least she didn't plan to.

He had another hand running through her hair. She could feel his fingers tracing her hair line - drawing patterns all the way down to the nape of her neck. His presence was soothing, and it almost made Arya forget about what fate her sister had been left to. Almost.

She had to open her eyes.

Arya groaned, and her eye lids fluttered open, forcing light into her world. Her vision went from blurred to focus, and Gendry's face floated above her. His eyes were wide with concern, but there was a kind smile playing on his lips.

"Hello stupid," He greeted her.

He unlaced his hands from her hair as Arya pushed herself up into a sitting position. They were in the back of the car, but Gendry had driven and parked them someplace different to the place she had passed out.

"Sansa," Arya spoke her sister's name immediately, but her throat was dry and hoarse, and she sounded more dead than alive.

"I know," Gendry replied firmly, with a confidence that told her he might have known what her first words would be. "We'll go to Kingslanding. We'll go to the red keep and find her, I _promise_ Arya. But you need to rest first. You've been out of it for a while."

Arya bit her lip. "How long?"

Gendry hesitated, and pulled the hand that was still in his closer to him. "About half an hour. I sat with you and waited. I was beginning to think you'd never..." He stopped himself, the realisation of his words dawning upon him.

But Arya's expression softened and it was enough to thank Gendry without ever speaking the words. Neither of them spoke for a moment, enjoying the seconds of silence. _Gendry said he'll help me find Sansa. Which means he doesn't think she's dead._

Arya didn't know what she believed. The pragmatic side of her told her to listen to the news report - to listen to Bran's words. But her instinct told her otherwise. Why would Sansa be dead if Joffrey, Cersei, and all the other inhabitants of the Red Keep were alive? It just didn't make sense.

She looked into Gendry's eyes suddenly, and a look of trust passed between the two of them. "She's not dead," said Arya, a frown knotted in her brow.

"I know she's not," Gendry replied with a hesitant stare. But his words did not falter. He wasn't lying just to please her. He had spoken true.

"Right," Said Arya, taking on a determined expression.

"Right," Gendry held her hand tighter - so tightly that Arya thought he might break her bones. But she ignored the pain. "So what do we do now?"

Arya replied almost immediately, "Like you said before. We go to Kingslanding. We find out what's going on. It doesn't matter if we get caught anymore. All that matters is that my sister is alive. To hell with Theon."

Gendry smiled then - an odd smile that made a smirk twitch at the corner of Arya's mouth. He looked as though he were about to say something, but he stopped himself and let go of Arya's hand.

"As M'lady commands," He told her, and then he got out of the car and sat himself in the driver’s seat. He looked back at Arya, and she stared back with a confused expression.

"Gendry, what-"

"To Kingslanding," He placed his hands on the steering wheel, and turned the engine on with a turn of a key.

Arya nodded in return, even though he was no longer looking at her. _To Kingslanding,_ She thought, allowing herself to build up whatever hope she could muster, no matter whether it would turn out to be false or not.

*

She swirled about the coffee in the cup absentmindedly, refusing to bring the bitter liquid to her lips. She still felt tired - exhausted even. But Arya thought she liked it better that way. Somehow, it made it easier to think.

Gendry sat opposite her, his hands resting on the rusted table in between them.

Arya distracted herself from looking in to his eyes by looking around the cafe. It was much the same as the one Gendry and Hot Pie owned - except it looked older, and less cared for. It didn't look like business had been booming for a while now.

She tapped her fingers on the table impatiently. Her eyes flickered to Gendry, but he was looking behind her, to the window that showed the dark streets outside.

The silence between them wasn't awkward, but it wasn't comfortable either. Arya wanted to be able to speak freely - to make plans with Gendry about what they would do when they got to Kingslanding. But she could not.

A waitress stood behind the counter, shooting cautious glances at the two of them. And there was another man, sat at the table furthest from them. He paid them no mind, but the black cloak and low-capped hat made him look suspicious enough to Arya.

Or maybe Arya was just over paranoid these days. She imagined what Sansa would say to that. Probably something along the lines of 'you should be more trusting, Arya. Not everybody’s out to get you.'

She heard her voice every time she closed her eyes. Every time Gendry wasn't there to pull her from her thoughts. The silence wasn't as golden as it once had been.

The name kept replaying in her head, like a mantra that could never be stopped until she found her sister. _Sansa. Sansa. Sansa._ It went on and on. Never ending. Never ceasing.

Arya thought she might be going crazy. Hadn't Bran once told her something about repetitive thoughts being the first sign of madness? Or it might have been talking to yourself. She wasn't sure which nowadays. Her memories from Winterfell were mostly hazy now. Not that that life had been long ago. But she felt like it had been an age since she had visited home.

When this was all over, that would be her first destination. And mayhaps she would take Gendry with her too. _He'd like Winterfell,_ She thought. It was homely there, and a sort of comforting air hung about the place that could only exist through large families. She knew that was one luxury Gendry had never had.

She needed to stop. Her mind was spiralling again. The thought of Gendry saved her.

"Do you ever wish you had brothers or sisters?" Arya's eyes snapped up to Gendry's suddenly, and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Gendry looked surprisingly at ease. "Sometimes," He leaned forwards in his seat, and his knees pressed against Arya's. "I used to be jealous whenever I saw you and Jon together. Sometimes I wished I had somebody to protect me like that. I suppose it would have been easier when mum..."

He trailed off, his eyes glazing over for a second. But he blinked, and the tears were gone. Arya bit her lip guiltily. She remembered the night Gendry's mother had died well. She had been in the North at the time, and had spent the day and the majority of the night with her brothers.

She got home to find numerous missed calls and text messages from Hot Pie. He'd asked her to ring Gendry immediately. He told her he knew it was her that Gendry wanted, not him.

Arya had spent her time on the phone to her best friend until the early hours of the morning.

She just wished been there for him sooner.

"Hey," She kicked his leg with her foot lightly. Gendry smiled at her. "It's okay now. You've got me."

She smiled back at him reassuringly, and pushed the murky cup of coffee away from her. "Come on," She said, grabbing his hand in hers and standing up suddenly. She pulled him towards the door, and Gendry obliged without question.

They stepped outside of the cafe, and the cool night air hit them. Arya shivered. It was dark now, but she could see Jon's car dimly lit by street lamps in the distance. Still, she didn't want to begin driving again just yet.

She had no idea where they were, yet Arya found herself dragging Gendry across the street, through alleyways and broken streets.

If tomorrow was going to be the day they stormed the Red Keep, then Arya wanted this last moment of adventure. This last moment to be a child again.

They ran and ran, and she could feel Gendry struggling to keep up with her from behind.

"Arya-" He began to say, but she had grounded to a halt. They had stopped on an abandoned hill that looked over the city. Lights flickered in the distance, and the distant roar of car engines rumbled insistently.

But it was... peaceful, somehow. She could say that at least.

She threw herself out on to the ground, and laid her head back, staring up at the sky. Arya did not know what in all the seven hells she was doing, but she wanted quiet. She wanted to get away from the incessant driving they had been doing for the past two days.

And with Gendry's promise that he would take her to Kingslanding, she was content to give herself this small respite.

Her eyes followed Gendry's, as he looked at her in confusion. She patted the ground beside her, as though to indicate for him to sit down beside her.

He shot her a bemused look, but did anyway.

"I didn't take you for a 'watching the sunset' type," He grinned at her, and Arya swatted him on the arm.

"Shut up... And it's already dark, stupid!" Gendry's smile widened and Arya scowled at him.

A hesitant expression took upon his face - as though he were deciding what to do next. But Arya did not have time to laugh at him. Or call him stupid. Or to act upon any of those things she would normally do or say to Gendry.

Because the next thing she knew, he lay down next to her, putting one arm behind his head, and the other fell absently beside him.

Arya took the chance to wrinkle her nose at him in amusement.

"I didn't take you for the 'stargazing' type," She teased, and to her surprise, Gendry chuckled. Arya hesitated cautiously before speaking her next words. "We look like some sort of couple in one of those stupid movies."

He didn't answer in return. Arya's face heated up, and her heart began to beat faster. Had she said the wrong thing? Had that been too close to the subject they had agreed not to speak of?

She forced the thoughts away from her mind. Her eyes fluttered closed for a second, and the moment she opened them, Gendry's crystal clear eyes were wearing into her side.

Arya turned her head to him, and chewed her lip anxiously.

His voice was sad, and his words were slow. "You know I never really thanked you - the night my mum died. I know you weren't there but... But I don't think I would have gotten through it if wasn't for you."

"Hot Pie would have done the same. Or Jeyne or Willow." She replied immediately, and softened her expression.

"No, they wouldn't. Hot Pie tried. He rang you. But Hot Pie's just Hot Pie, you know?" He paused for a second, and Arya nodded in understanding. "Besides... I didn't want to speak to them. I wanted to talk to you."

He looked away from her then, an almost guilty look in his eyes.

A small frown creased in the corners of Arya's forehead.

"Why?" She asked him, her voice hushed, and no more than a whisper.

She saw Gendry shrug, but he kept his eyes fixated on the empty sky above them. "You're my best friend. You understood."

Arya smiled softly, but bit her lip too. She did not know what did it, but she found herself pulling his hand towards her, offering him what small comfort she could. Her small hand fit perfectly in his, and Arya found herself fascinated by the way he clung back, _like he needed her to stay with him. Like he would never let her go._

"Gendry," She said, willing him to look at her again. And he did. He did not smile at her - he only looked at her curiously. "I haven't really thanked you either. For staying with me. And for taking me to find Sansa. It means... It means a lot."

She looked away from him anxiously, almost _afraid_ of his next words.

But he didn't speak. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, as a way of telling her all the things she needed to know.

And Arya was more grateful than she would ever let on.

The cold air caused goose bumps to appear where her skin was bare. They travelled down her arm, until they reached her hand, which was still entwined in Gendry's.

She shivered.

Gendry noticed, and without a word, he removed his jacket and threw it over the two of them. Arya snuggled closer to him, but kept both their hands as a barrier between them. Because, at the end of all this, there would always be something stopping Arya from being with Gendry. And Gendry from being with Arya.

Her brothers. The guilt. _Hot Pie._

Arya preferred the barriers to be self imposed - that way there would be no struggle.

She _wanted_ to kiss Gendry. She knew she did. Arya was not naive enough to think that all there was between them was friendship. And every time they called each other 'best friend' was like a stab in the heart. Like a punch in the stomach.

Arya knew that now.

She thought Gendry knew that too.

She wished she could just come out and say it to him. But it was too complicated. It was _always_ too complicated. Besides, Arya had never been good with words. She knew she'd mess them up and end up looking stupid. Stupid like Gendry.

But he was a good type of stupid. In fact, he was the only one she called any type of stupid at all. The nickname was tossed about between the two of them so often, Arya oft forgot that other people were perfectly capable of using the word too.

And if she closed her eyes, she could recall the memory back to her mind. The chaste kiss. The complete opposite of what Arya knew she was.

She could pretend she was in Gendry's arms again, his fingertips pressing into the small of her back. His soft lips on hers. His eyelashes tickling her cheeks.

Arya knew she wanted that again.

No.

She wanted _more_ than that.

She wanted to be with Gendry every waking moment, and to fall asleep in his arms each night.

The thought made Arya frown and smile at the same time - to want somebody so _stupid_ , so badly. 

Gendry caught her grimacing, and to her surprise, he laughed. A light laugh that seemed so out of place in the situation they were in.

"What?" She said, her frown deepening. It only served to make Gendry laugh harder. "Stop laughing!"

She pulled off the shield that was covering them both and began throwing punches at Gendry's broad shoulders and chest. He didn't seem to feel the blows. And while he made no move towards stopping her, he laughed so hard he snorted.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Arya's frustration made her cheeks flush with anger. Gendry stopped laughing, seeing the wild look in her eyes. But Arya continued to hit him, her eyes almost filling with tears as she did so.

As though on instinct, Gendry brought a hand to her cheek, and the other was on her wrist, stopping her from attacking him further.

Arya fought against him, ignoring the warmth of him palm on her face. Ignoring the way she wanted to give into him.

She almost _hated_ him for making her behave like this, even if it was through no fault of his own.

"Arya stop," His eyes were a mixture of concern and worry, and his hold on her wrist tightened.

"Arya," He put a gentle hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. She stilled suddenly, allowing her eyes to flood with tears.

She down on her bottom lip hard and felt the blood pool in her mouth. She would not let the tears fall.

He raised an eyebrow in a way of questioning, but Arya looked away from him. She felt guilty all of a sudden. Guilty that she had worried Gendry when she was worrying over something that seemed so trivial in comparison to everything she should be thinking about.

"Hey," His grip on her wrist slackened. He held her hand in his once again, and tucked a stray stand of her behind her ear with the other. "What's wrong?"

Arya shook her head.

"If you’re worried about Sansa, I told you we'll find her. And if I know Arya Stark, I know that she won't give up until we _do_ find her," He said softly.

His eyes met Arya's in a moment of silence.

She stared at him.

Gendry stared back.

Arya continued to shake her head.

He looked confused, his eyes clouding in confusion, "Then what's-"

"I want you to kiss me." Arya blurted out without thinking. But she gave her words as an order, not a request.

"What?" He tried to act as though he hadn't heard her. But Arya knew he had. He was blushing crimson, and he avoided her eyes as though to look would be a death sentence.

"I told you to kiss me," She said, more sure of herself this time. If Arya wasn't going to act boldly then who was?

"But I thought we agreed that-" He began, but Arya removed her hand from his, and flung herself towards him with such force that she was surprised Gendry managed to catch her.

Arya's lips crashed down onto Gendry's, and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly for support. Gendry didn't pull away - in fact, he kissed her back, as though all the guilt was forgotten.

And in that fraction of a second, Arya knew Gendry wanted this _too_.

He had a hand on the small of her back, his fingers making unrecognisable patterns on the fabric of her shirt. Lips slanted against lips, and Arya felt a jolt of excitement run through her.

Gendry ran a tongue across her lower lip, and Arya parted them eagerly, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She clutched onto the hair on the back of his neck as he pulled his mouth away from hers, and began to kiss her jaw, trailing kisses down the delicate skin on her neck.

She gasped when he reached her collarbone, and she allowed herself to open her eyes for just a second. She could count each and every single star in the sky if she wanted to.

But she didn't want to. 

She squeezed her eyes shut again, and forced Gendry's lips back on hers, pouring everything she had into him.

The kiss was desperate, _needy_ almost. Arya wondered if Gendry had been waiting for this. Arya had only been sure of her feelings since he left Kingslanding with her. And the first time he kissed her had confirmed whatever doubts she had had.

_But what about him?_  

She bit down on his lower lip, and dug her fingers deeper into his neck.

They were safe here. In the secluded spot in a city of which Arya did not know the name of.

In a selfish moment, she wished they could just stay here. They could forget about Robert Baratheon and his stupid money and do whatever they wanted.

Only the thoughts of her sister pulled her back to the ever modest present.

Gendry pulled away suddenly, and Arya's eyes flitted open. The normally light blues of his eyes were dark, and he bore a look on his face that Arya could not quite describe.

He smiled at Arya, and she smiled back. For each of them knew that whatever they faced in the morning, tonight would be theirs. 


	10. Arya

 

Each ring of the phone seemed to grow longer and longer, which only served to make Arya stamp her feet on the ground impatiently. She could feel Gendry's eyes on her from the car across the road. Her heart fluttered at the thought, and she bit her lip to stop the blush that had begun its way up her neck.

Truth be told, she was getting rather angry at Bran now, through no fault of his own. She knew their mother's hawk-like eyes would most likely be watching the boys every second of the day. But she needed to speak to Bran. And _only_ Bran.

This wasn't a social call.

She needed him to tell her how to get inside the Red Keep. And now.

While she and Gendry might be able to find a way in there themselves, she needed her brother's expertise. He must have climbed every single wall in that castle, and she knew he would know the place better than she did.

Arya glanced over to Gendry quickly, and they shared a fleeting smile. They must have wasted about an hour, with Arya trying to convince Gendry to let her use the phone by herself. She'd only managed to convince him by flashing her one of her murderous glares, and Gendry had shut up.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was glad he was keeping an eye on her from the car at least. Embarrassed, but still glad.

To know he was looking out for her gave Arya a sense of security she wasn't sure anybody else would ever be able to give her.

The ringing in her ear stopped.

The phone answered.

"Arya, I told you-" Bran's voice started. Arya managed a signature frown and smirk at the same time.

"Shut up," She said sharply, although she continued to smile. "I've been trying to ring you for the past ten minutes. I've wasted five quid because you wouldn't answer, and quite frankly, little brother, I'm upset that you didn't want to speak to me sooner-"

Bran interrupted her this time. "You seem chirpy."

Arya stood up straight, affronted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well the last time you rang you hung up on me," He sounded glum suddenly. And Arya felt guilty for not trying to ring him sooner. But her thoughts had been everywhere at once. Sansa. Gendry. Sansa. Gendry-

Bran's voice brought her back to the present. "Arya, you didn't... You haven't done anything stupid, have you?"

Arya frowned, and all traces of amusement were gone from her face. "Of course not. I... I panicked. When you told me about Sansa. I didn't know what to do. I..."

She trailed off, unwilling to tell him that she had fainted. She didn't want to admit weakness. Especially not to her younger brother.

There was silence between the two of them. She couldn't hear anything on the line other than Bran's light breathing. She wondered how he'd managed to sneak out of their mother's clutches to answer the call.

That brought her back to her reason for calling.

Sansa.

She spoke all of a sudden. "I need you to help me get into the Red Keep Bran."

Arya bit her lip, waiting for his answer. She didn't expect him to scold her, but she was hardly expecting him to help her with what seemed to everybody else but her like a foolish plan, full of flaws.

She knew she would have to persuade her brother. The problem was, that Bran was not as easily persuadable as her other brothers. He and Jon were perhaps the only two she had that saw past her falseness when she wanted something.

"I can't." Bran's voice cracked as he spoke. But he'd spoken as Arya had expected anyway.

"Bran-"

"Arya-"

"Please." She pleaded with him now, and she heard Bran sigh on the other line.

"I'm not going to be the one to put you in that sort of danger Arya. You're my big sister - I need you! I don't want whatever got Sansa to get you too, I-"

The reality of the fifteen year old broke out. A sort of childhood innocence that she had never heard from her younger brother before. Arya's eyes welled with tears before she could stop them.

"Nothing's 'gotten' Sansa," She reassured him, the belief that flowed through her flowing into him. "And I won't let anything get me either, Bran. I'm not going anywhere. I _need_ you to help me."

"No," He said. Arya could imagine Bran shaking his head insistently before her. 

Arya sighed. She hadn't wanted to try and persuade him. She swore she hadn't. She didn't want to blackmail Bran into anything.

But she needed Sansa.

Forcing the lump back down into her throat, she spoke.

"Bran. Tell me or I'll tell mum about you and the Reeds. I'll tell her about all the nights she thought you spent tutoring me when you were actually round there doing whatever you were doing with Jojen-"

The noise that came next was unexpected. A noise so unexpected that it made Arya's stomach flip in surprise, and her eyes widened for a split second.

Bran laughed.

"Are you trying to blackmail me now?"

"Yes!" Arya shouted impatiently. She was lucky the street was abandoned, otherwise she would have gotten a few strange looks for that.

Bran chuckled again. "You think threatening to tell mum I'm gay will make me help you get yourself killed?"

"Bran, please-"

"No, Arya. I'm sorry. I want Sansa back as much as you do, but I can't... I can't lose you. Okay?"

Arya bit her lip. "Fine."

"I've got to go. I'll tell Rickon you called. Arya... _please_ don't do anything stupid. I love you, big sister."

Arya smiled fondly. "Love you, little brother."

Then Bran's voice was gone, and the silence settled down comfortably. She put the phone back on its holder, and walked back to the car, avoiding Gendry's eyes uncomfortably. The guilt was just beginning to stir in the pit of her stomach when she reached it, and she pushed Bran's childish voice out her mind.

He might have needed her. But they all needed Sansa.

* * *

 

"Are you sure this is the right way?" She heard Gendry's voice call out from behind her, and he struggled against the rocks that crumbled away beneath their feet.

"Positive," Arya confirmed. She creased her brow slightly. A pebble moved beneath her favoured foot.

This was the way she had left the Red Keep, and this was the only way they were going to get back in there.

If Bran wouldn't help her, then Arya would just have to trust her instincts.

She stopped for a moment, waiting for Gendry to catch up with her. While he had told Arya that he would help her find Sansa, she knew he wasn't happy about it. There was an uneasiness behind his eyes - whether it be for her safety or his own. Or maybe he just thought this was a foolish plan.

But he had not questioned it when Arya told him they would be entering the Red Keep through the docks of Kingslanding. She took that as a good sign.

The waves moved idly in the water. If Arya moved closer to it, the calmness of it would brush her toes.

It was odd - she had almost expected the waves to be crashing against the shoreline in a rage similar to her own. But they weren't. They were still. They were waiting.

Gendry stood beside her.

"Arya?" His hand brushed hers. Her skin was on fire. The world around her was ice.

"This way," She said, folding her fingers in his, and dragging him further forwards. She could see the darkened cave ahead of her. Arya knew that was where she had left the Red Keep.

More rocks moved beneath her feet as she walked, the occasional stone stabbing into the soles. But Arya paid them no mind. Every hurt was a lesson, and every lesson made you better.

They reached the cave's entrance, and Arya pulled Gendry forwards into the darkness.

They kept moving forwards.

They had to.

Whatever happened to them next was nothing. They needed to find Sansa. _She_ needed to find her sister.

"Is this where-" Gendry began but Arya interrupted him, knowing what his words were going to be.

"Yes." Arya looked around the tunnel. The light from the outside had disappeared now. They were in the darkness. This was the last place she had seen Sansa.

The memory would have been fresh in her mind, had Arya not tried her very best to bury her sister's face from her thoughts. The only place she saw her sister now was in her dreams. That was where the doubt was hidden as well.

While Arya was awake, she was stubborn. She was certain she would find Sansa, alive and well. She was certain that Bran had been wrong, and whoever had died was from another Red Keep somewhere miles away from here. Her instincts told her that too.

But even they could not keep the nightmares away. She was still human.

Gendry gave her hand a squeeze and pressed a kiss to her temple. Arya shivered, comforted by the warmth of his body next to hers.

She stood taller, and brushed the cold air aside.

"Come on."

There was only one direction in which they could go, but Arya felt the need to guide Gendry through the tunnels anyway. It was dark, just as they had been the night Sansa had helped her escape. The only source of light was the candle on the wall. It all felt a bit medieval. Something that provided Arya with a sense of mutual eeriness and alertness.

She picked up her pace, and Gendry followed behind.

Then they there. Out of the tunnel and in the very heart of the Red Keep.

Only a short time ago, Robert Baratheon had laid dead on the stage directly in front of her.

The hall was empty now. Not a person in sight. The Red Keep had suddenly become a tomb.

But there were no flowers by the place of the man's death. No sentimental letters. Nothing.

There was nothing to say anything out of the ordinary had taken place here at all.

Gendry drew up closer beside her. "Is this it?"

Arya slapped him on the hand. His voice was loud. Too loud. It echoed around the hall, and Arya was afraid they might have alerted whoever was here already.

Not that she was afraid of the Lannisters, of course. They owned the place now that Robert was dead.

But they had only really been on friendly terms with Arya's family through Sansa, and she knew that Cersei held a certain distaste for both her and Jon. And she didn't particularly fancy explaining what she was doing here right now.

No. Their business here was Sansa. Sansa and _only_ Sansa.

Without a word to Gendry, she began to edge away from the stage, and around to the small spiralling set of stairs which she knew would lead her to both her and Sansa's former rooms.

She wondered what had become of her things briefly, but brushed the thought away.

She climbed the steps quickly, making sure her feet made no noise at all. The only sound came from Gendry, his breaths heavy and nervous behind her.

She passed through familiar corridors on her way, each step, each crack on the wall bringing back memories to her mind. Memories of how things had been.

A part of her wished she could go back to that. A part of her would have taken back all of the _stupid_ parties and trivial conversations if she could just get her sister back.

The other part of her mind was intent on listening to the footsteps behind her.

"Here." Arya stopped suddenly, and both their footsteps stilled. They had reached it. Sansa's old room.

She placed hesitant fingers on the door handle. If she went in, and Sansa was there, what would she do then? And if Sansa wasn't there...

Arya shook her head briefly. She couldn't think about that.

She opened the door.

Arya took a step in without another thought.

It was dark. The window on the opposite side of the room had a curtain slung clumsily across it. The room was empty.

Every footstep made an echo on the tiled floor that resonated throughout the room, no matter how quiet Arya tried to be.

"Arya." Gendry's voice was soft in her ear. She could almost imagine the pity in his gaze. But she didn't want pity. She wanted Sansa.

Gendry had a hand on her shoulder, but Arya shrugged him off her. She reached the centre of the room.

The bed was made, but it had a cold, unfriendly look about it. It hadn't been slept in recently.

And then, in the corner, Arya spotted something. A box in the darkest depths of the room, as though it had been hidden from plain sight. Something shiny caught her eye. The metal reflected off the light of the hallway.

She kneeled beside the box.

Arya brushed away a layer of dust that coated the lid, revealing the name written on it.

She sat cross-legged on the floor when she caught the name on it.

_'Arya'_. Her name was written neatly, in a sprawl that she recognised immediately. Sansa's.

_She's alive_. Arya knew it.

Her hands travelled to the silver that had caught her attention initially. The chain of a necklace hung against the side of the box.

Arya tugged at it. The pendant fell in to the palm of her hand. She clutched it tightly.

It was hers. The box was full of her things.

The things she'd left behind.

She looked at the token in her hand. A Needle. Her Needle. The necklace Jon had given to her when she reached thirteen. The one her mother had refused to let her wear the night of the engagement party seeing as it didn't 'match her dress'.

The sword point dug into her hand. The feeling had always comforted Arya. It reminded her of home. Of Jon.

"What's wrong?" Gendry asked her. Arya turned to him and smiled slightly, waving for him to sit next to her.

"It's my stuff," She said, when he sat beside her.

All thoughts of rescue momentarily forgotten, Arya pulled the lid from the box.

Inside, her clothes had been folded with care, in a way that screamed 'Sansa'. The only other thing inside was a picture of her family. Arya remembered taking it the night before they had left for Kingslanding.

She pulled it out, and held the paper in her hands. The ink was not fresh, but her thumbprints marked the corners of the photo anyway.

Gendry smiled beside her.

"Is that-?"

"Theon trying to kiss Robb? Yep." Gendry laughed and Arya grinned. Her eyes travelled to her parents. Her mother had a firm grip on Rickon, who was trying desperately to help Arya and Bran tackle Jon to the ground. And then Sansa. She stood there, one hand tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked to be trying desperately to hide a smirk.

Arya felt a tug of sadness pull at her chest.

"You look happy," Said Gendry.

Arya smiled at him then, her eyes meeting his fully. "We were. We _are."_

She folded the photo, and buried it in her pocket. Then she placed the lid back onto the box, and tried to make it look as untouched as possible. Her eyes fell to the necklace in her other hand.

She felt Gendry's eyes on her.

Arya turned to him. "Would you?" She waved the necklace towards him.

He nodded and took Needle from her hands.

Arya turned away from him, and pulled her hair up loosely in her hands. She closed her eyes.

She felt the necklace on her chest. Gendry's fingers were on the nape of her neck, and she felt him shut the clasp on the necklace. They remained there for a second, and Arya shivered. Goosebumps travelled down her arms.

Arya released the hold on her hair and opened her eyes. Gendry's breath was hot on her back.

She bit her lip.

"Thank you." Arya smiled and turned around to meet him. Gendry's eyes sparkled at her.

Arya's hands found Needle, and she clutched it nervously.

"I'd still like to see Winterfell." Gendry's voice was little above a whisper.

"We will." Arya smiled at him. "But first we need to find Sansa."

"Okay-" He stopped. His head snapped towards the door. It was slightly ajar, but there was no mistaking the face that peeked through the gap.

Gendry stood up, and ran towards the door. Arya brought herself up to his height as best she could, and chased after him.

She reached the face. But Gendry had already brought him in the room and slammed the door behind him. She was sure such a noise would be likely to attract more attention. But right now, she had to pay attention to the struggling boy that stood trembling before them.

Arya couldn't figure out why he would be so scared until she caught sight of the expression on Gendry's face. A look of hostility.

"Gendry." She placed her hand on his arm, and brought it away from the boy's shoulder.

"What if he-"

"He was _knocking_ on the door, I hardly think he's here to hurt us!"

A moment passed between the two of them before Gendry calmed down. When he did, his shoulders relaxed, and his face softened. He took a step away from the boy.

Arya took a step closer.

He said nothing, but Arya recognised the face.

"You're Tyrion's friend." She stated it, leaving no room for him to deny it.

"Podrick." He replied. His stance was still defensive, and his eyes kept flicking back to Gendry at every chance he got. But Arya knew Gendry, and she knew that once he had calmed down, he was no more dangerous than a fly. He wouldn't harm anyone.

"Is Sansa here? My sister?" Arya saw no reason for hiding why they were here.

He nodded. "Tyrion has me keep an eye on her sometimes. In case..."

"In case what?" Arya pushed him for answers.

"In case _they_ come back for her. He says they're after all the Starks."

Arya frowned. Even _Podrick Payne_ knew more than her. "Who's 'they'?" She asked him.

"I don't know!" He was red in the face as he took another step backwards towards the wall.

Arya's face softened. She stood away from him.

"Will you take me to her? To Sansa?" She pleaded. The boy knew where her sister was. _Sansa was alive!_

He looked at her oddly, his expression torn between something Arya couldn't quite make out. Finally, he smiled.

"Follow me."

 


	11. Arya

 

The walls were brighter where the serving boy was leading them. Flecks of gold and red speckled each brick, and Arya found herself fighting the urge to roll her eyes and the Lannister's blatant pride. It's not like the walls of Winterfell were lined with silver.

Podrick seemed to be leading them downwards Arya realised, but she said nothing. She focused her attention to her ears, her nose, her sight - everything that helped to hone her instincts. Everything that she knew would flash red in her mind if the boy was leading them into a trap.

_Or maybe I'm just being over-dramatic_ , Arya thought, with a wry smile. That may have been true, but after all that had happened to her recently, she wouldn't be surprised if there was a three-headed dragon waiting for her in place of Sansa.

They stopped short suddenly. Arya felt Gendry tred on the back of her feet. He murmured a sorry to her, but Arya's attention was on the boy in front. He was facing thick, black door, and she could see him fiddling with a set of keys to open it.

The keys were rusty, each of them with an iron handle. They were old, she realised. As was the door. She wondered how anybody could possibly live comfortably in a place like this.

The door opened inwards, and Arya peered through. There were steps leading downwards in a spiral fashion. Her heart began to beat erratically in her chest when she realised where they were being lead.

"A dungeon?" Arya couldn't help but raise her voice, "You've been keeping my sister in a dungeon?" There was no answer from the boy, so she shook his shoulder angrily. "Tell me!"

He frowned, but managed to keep his composure. "Joffrey."

"Joffrey?" Arya spat his name in disgust, "He's ordering people around now is he? He's locking his _girlfriend_ in a dungeon?"

"Please be quiet," He said, annoyance creasing in his brow now. "If anyone were to know you're here you would never get out."

Arya eyed him suspiciously. "Then why are _you_ helping _us_?"

The boy shrugged. "Tyrion's orders."

He turned away from her, indicating the conversation was over. He led them down the steps carefully, the light dimming from the halls each time. Arya had to bite her tongue to keep herself quiet. She hated to admit it, but he was right. They couldn't be discovered.

The corridor widened. Her eyes wondered to the old-fashioned cells that looked as though they had not been used for hundreds of years. She squinted. They were spotless in fact. The only indicator of their age was the rust on the iron bars that kept the prisoners in.

Arya frowned, a curious question playing at her lips. "How did Tyrion Lannister know we were here?"

"The walls have ears," He said, his voice no more than a whisper. When Arya did not reply, he added, "Your voices echoed. Tyrion told me to fetch you at once, and so I did. I do as I'm told, no more."

Arya scoffed, "What is this - the middle ages? Are you his servant or something?" She knew she should show some gratitude, but she could not bring herself to.

Although she could not see his face, Arya could hear the amusement in his voice. "I'll do what I have to do to be paid, Miss Stark."

Arya made a face at the title. Silence fell again. They had nearly reached the end of the corridor now, and the cells appeared to be getting more modern with each one they passed. She felt Gendry brush up against her side, and she slipped her hand in this without a second thought.

He squeezed her fingers as an act of reassurance.

"Here," Podrick said at last, stopping at the last cell. There were no bars here. Just a thick sheet of metal with a door that looked impenetrable. Before unlocking the door, he turned to look at both Arya and Gendry. His eyes flickered between the two of them, before settling on herself.

"I can't bring you your sister myself. Too many people would notice too soon. But I swear to you, she's not dead. I know Joffrey wants you to believe that, but she's not." He unlocked the door with a turn of a key. "I hope you will be together again someday soon."

Arya opened her mouth to speak, but the boy had scurried off, disappearing into the darkness of the halls.

Her throat went dry.

"Should we open it?" Gendry's deep voice whispered to her.

"What if it's a trap?" She said, looking up at him in concern.

He scratched the back of his neck. "I'll open it then. If it's a trap, you run. Okay?"

She didn't have chance to object. Gendry's left hand did not leave Arya's, while the other turned the door handle, pushing the piece of metal open. Light poured through the gap, so bright that Arya had to blink several times for her vision to come back into focus.

They stepped inside, Gendry first.

Whiteness. That was it. The walls, the floors - even the small pieces of basic furniture that laced the room. It seemed odd that a place so dystopian like could exist in the dungeons of the Red Keep itself.

And then her eyes landed on the only piece of colour in the room. A man. Sat upright on the bed, his clothes dirty, and his hair matted with grime. But alive. And looking at the two of them with his mouth slightly ajar. Shock lined the creases of his eyes.

"Arya?" The voice was familiar. The voice drove straight through her, forcing her heart into her mouth.

"Dad?"

She ran to him, letting go of Gendry and forcing herself into his arms. Her father's arms wrapped around her tightly, and the tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. Her father was here! _Here!_

In all her haste to get to Sansa, her father and her brothers had been put to the back of her mind. And though she still needed to get to Sansa, it was alright. Her father was here and everything would be put to rights again.

She pulled away reluctantly and sat beside him, drinking in the features of his face. He looked older. _Wearier._ The lines around his eyes had deepened, and there was something of a deep sadness in them.

Arya didn't know which of them would speak first. She took it upon herself.

"What happened? Where's Robb? Where are Mum and Bran and Rickon?" The questions spilled out of her mouth, and her father smiled fondly.

"There's no time love," He stood up with a quickness Arya would not have expected him to have. "We've got a chance to leave. We must take it."

He looked to Gendry suddenly, his face turning serious. Recognition flashed between his eyes. "Gendry, isn't it? Arya's friend?"

Gendry nodded with a modest smile.

Her father nodded in return. "Come, we must be quick, before the alarms are raised."

"What about Sansa? She's here." Arya asked. She wondered whether her father knew of her.

Her father paused. "I know. A small group of us broke in here to try and reach her. We'd heard the news about the dead girl. But it wasn't her. It was one of Tyrion's girls - a ploy staged by Joffrey to try and get us to run in here. And we fell for it. All of my men are dead - and Robb. I don't know where Robb went. He disappeared during the fight."

Silence followed his words. Arya's face fell. "But we will find her - won't we? Eventually?"

He smiled at her again. "We will. But we're not in the position to now.

Arya nodded. Her father stood up suddenly. He grimaced, a look on his face that told Arya he had not stood up properly for a long time.

"Come quickly, the Lannisters will not go unaware for much longer."

* * *

 

They reached the main hall quickly enough. Her father was motioning their direction with his hands, as any sounds would echo in the round room. He pointed to the exit door with a solemn look on his face. They had done it. They had almost escaped.

Arya reached forwards, her hand on the doorknob, ready to breathe in the fresh air that awaited her.

_They were so close_.

"Eddard Stark." The voice ringed throughout the room. Arya's head snapped round. The woman's voice was void of emotion, as she stepped out from the dark shadows and onto the stage on which her late husband had once stood.

She walked with a certain grace, yet her eyes betrayed her. She hadn't expected to see any of them here.

"I wasn't aware we kept our doors unlocked. But then again I wasn't aware we kept prisoners." She smiled slightly, but the smile was unsure.

"You didn't know?" Her father sounded surprised. So was Arya. She was under the impression that Cersei Lannister was in charge of this place now. That Joffrey was just her puppet.

She shook her head. "I didn't. Until my brother decided to tell me," She paused, "They say the walls have ears but clearly that's not so."

There was silence. Arya watched her father carefully. She could see the cogs turning in his mind. He glanced at Arya quickly and then back to the woman on the stage.

He raised his eyebrows but spoke solemnly. "He's your son."

Cersei laughed. "He's my son," She agreed, "But what power does a mother ever have over their child?"

"Joffrey did _this?_ He killed... _"_ Arya couldn't help herself. Her voice ringed around the hall, louder than she had intended.

Cersei's smile faded as she looked at Arya. "He could have done a lot worse to your sister had I not forbade it."

"Then why didn't you forbid _this."_ Arya spat. "Locking my father up, sending men after me and Gendry to kill us. Making the whole world think Sansa was dead."

She didn't answer, which only served to anger Arya even more.

Another voice ringed out through the darkness. "Shut up girl. Take your father and leave. I can't stand the wailing of women. Sweet Sansa knows that."

Joffrey stepped out from behind his mother, a smug smile on his face. Arya wanted to wipe the smile straight of his snarky little face.

"You." She spat his name, "You spiteful, vindictive little -"

She ran at him, but only made it a few steps forward as she felt Gendry pull her back towards him.

The click of a gun sounded. Arya's eyes blurred in to focus. It was pointed at _her._

Even from this distance, she could see Joffrey's hands were shaking. Shooting somebody wasn't something he was accustomed to.

"No." Her father stood in front of her, his voice low and for the first time Arya had heard it sound so - dangerous.

Joffrey put two hands on the gun to steady himself.

"I just wanted to impress him. That's all I wanted." He was quiet. His voice was tiny and thin and for the first time the little boy sounded like a boy.

"Joffrey," Cersei said softly. Pity in her voice but caution in her eyes.

"Impress who?" Her father commanded. If he was scared he didn't show it. Arya wondered just how many times he had had a gun pointed in his face.

Joffrey didn't answer. His eyes creased.

There was a knocking on the door behind them. Arya turned around, staring at the sound.

"Arya!" A familiar voice sounded. Jon's voice. She watched as he tried the door handle, but it was locked. Her brother couldn't get in.

She didn't even have time to wonder what he was doing here.

Her attention was back on Joffrey, but she was still shielded from the gun by her father.

"F-father," He gritted his teeth. She could hear the frustration in his tone. "I just wanted to impress him. I didn't think they'd kill him and now they won't leave me alone-"

He stopped. His chin quivered. Her father took a slow step forwards.

"Joffrey. Tell me who they are. If you tell me who they are all will be forgiven. I'll find them and I'll stop them. They'll leave you alone. I swear it."

There was no answer. Arya reached out towards her father. She didn't like Joffrey. She didn't t _rust_ Joffrey. And she had been right to do so. Only she had always thought he was in control. That was where she had got it wrong.

She was uncertain as to whether the boy would have the recklessness to pull the trigger. She knew if he did, it would be out of madness. Not malice.

Gendry clasped a tight hand around her wrist but she shook him off. She moved closer to her father. Slowly, the two of them advanced towards Joffrey, but the boy did not give up. He hands tightened more firmly around the gun, his finger playing around the trigger.

She glanced at Cersei, but the woman had frozen. Arya bit down on her tongue hard to keep her from crying out.

She'd count to three. Three seconds. That would be it. Then she would make her move. She would grab the gun from Joffrey's hands and get out of here. Biding their time wasn't doing any good.

_One._ Arya took a deep breath, allowing the steel to enter her soul for what she needed to do.

_Two._ Another step forwards.

_Three._

She threw herself forwards, her vision becoming a blur of red and gold as she did so. Her feet carried her forwards as fast as they could. Doors flew open behind her. Something registered in the back of her mind that Jon was here. Jon was in. Jon was in danger too. But she pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

Joffrey was in her sight now. His face hesitant, his teeth gritted.

It all happened so quickly that Arya's vision faded to black.

A gunshot fired. Another soon after.

Arya expected to feel a sharp pain in her chest. In her stomach. In her shoulder. Anywhere where Joffrey might have shot her.

But all she felt was a dull ache on her side where she had landed on the ground harshly. No. Not landed. Been pushed.

The world faded between shades of grey and colour. Red blinded her eyes. Two figures retreated in the distance. Two blonde figures. Joffrey and Cersei had ran.

That was when she realised the arms around her waist had left her two. There was a cry of pain. Another of anger.

She realised the second had been hers.

Arya found herself face to face with Jon who had somehow pushed her out the way with a bitter smile on his face.

"How did you know I was here?" She snapped, a little more bluntly than she had intended it to be.

Jon grimaced. "I'm not stupid." His hands went to his arm. And he screwed his face up in pain. Arya's eyes went wide in alarm. "I'm fine. I'll be fine. I landed on it that’s all."

Arya frowned but she nodded all the same, pushing him gently off her so she could sit up.

That was when she heard it. The whimper. Her name. As quiet as the silence itself, but loud enough for her to hear.

_Arya. Arya. Arya._

She looked up. Gendry's eyes were as wide as saucers as he took a step forwards towards her. Ygritte she noticed, remained stationary behind him.

Gendry took another step and she realised what he was looking at. Not her. He wasn't nearing her.

She knew the answer before she had thought it herself.

Her heart told her so.

She knew.

Arya heaved herself up, but her strength failed her. She crawled on the floor, towards the red pool of blood. It was sticky on her hands. The smell of it invaded her senses. But she kept moving forwards.

_Arya. Arya. Arya._

The voice continued. She wasn't sure whether she was imagining it now or not. She kept her eyes on the floor. On the blood.

She knew, but she wouldn't acknowledge. She wouldn't accept.

She reached him. She would call him 'him' for now because the thought was too painful to bear. And he wasn't a body. No. Not a body. Not yet. But Arya knew how quickly death worked its way into the mind and into the heart.

It would reach him soon. 

"Arya." His voice was raspy, the sound coming from his chest. From his heart.

She felt Jon behind her. He didn't touch her, but she knew he was with her all the same.

Arya inched closer towards death. She laced her hands in his. She squeezed tightly. She would have spoken but her throat was thick. No words would come out. Only air.

"Ring an ambulance," She heard Jon say, his voice quavering but strong. " _Now_."

Arya didn't have to look behind her to see the pity in anyone's eyes.

"No." The word left him with no emotion to it. But he knew. The voice knew he was dying. The bullet had buried itself deep into his chest.

With a heavy hand, he motioned for Jon to come closer. She wondered what his passing words of wisdom would be. In the stories, your father's dying words became your mantra. Would that be the same for them?

_No,_ Arya thought bitterly, _this isn't a story._

And it wasn't. The harsh reality of everything hit her so suddenly Arya felt as if she too had been shot.

Jon leaned in towards them, and held Arya's empty hand in his. He leaned towards her, so their foreheads were touching.

They stayed like that for a while. The three of them. The Starks. The survivors. Arya could feel a hole in her heart where her mother should have been. Her brothers. Her sister. _They should be here too_. She thought. But they weren't. Arya didn't know whether she would ever see them again.

Silence filled the room in Ned Stark's passing moments.

Arya didn't cry. She couldn't find it in herself to.

But she held on to her family as tightly as she could. Until the last breath had escaped her father's body. Until he was gone. Dead.

Even afterwards Arya could not bring herself to leave him. It took Gendry with a strong arm under her shoulder to pull her away. The world blurred - her vision became a mass of swirling greys, fading in and out of colour.

Somewhere in the distance she heard Ygritte telling Jon they needed to move the body. Arya bit down on her lip hard. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, making her grimace.

She couldn't black out again. She wouldn't.

Jon needed her.

Arya stood up tall, and Gendry's grip on her slackened. She knew what needed to be done.

"The sea." Arya forced all the strength she could muster in to her voice. Her three companions looked at her quizzically. Arya reiterated, "I know... I know he would have wanted to be buried in the North. But we can't. It's too far."

"That's a Tully tradition," Jon's voice had turned to steel, but a deep sadness burrowed its way around his eyes.

"I know," Said Arya, thinking of her mother. "But it's the best we've got."

* * *

 

Arya's feet were steady on the pebbles now. She walked with a sort of sureness coming from a strength she didn't know she had. But she knew it would stay with her. Forever.

The sky had darkened through their efforts - the tranquillity of it all filled Arya with bitterness. Her world was ending - it felt like there should be something, _someone_ , screaming with her.

But Jon was sullen. And she didn't want to even think of telling her mother and brothers.

The boat that contained their father was in the sea now. Illuminated by the fire that burned steadily atop it. She felt for Gendry's hand beside her but she didn't lean in to him. Just knowing he was there was enough.

They watched for what felt like hours. The night blackened and the stars brightened. But she watched her father until he was gone. Not even a bright light in the distance.

Arya smiled bitterly at the unfairness of it all. Her father was gone. _Dead,_ in fact. It didn't matter anymore. The two words had the same meaning.

She turned to Jon, not caring that he wasn't looking at her. "What now?"

He closed his eyes for a second and then opened them, a light filling them that Arya had never seen before. He glanced at her and returned her smile.

"We go home." 

 


	12. Gendry

The walls of Winterfell held a strange sort of silence despite its current occupants. There was an eeriness in the air, not unlike the Red Keep. But Gendry knew why that was. He knew from Arya’s tales that it was usually a place with warmth in its heart.

He glanced quickly at Arya, and saw that her eyes were fixated on the floor. Jon and Ygritte were lost in quiet conversation, while Ygritte fixed up the flesh wound on his arm. All Gendry could hear from them was a comforting buzzing in the back of his mind.

Gendry brought the coffee mug in his hands to his lips, allowing the scorching liquid to burn his throat. He didn’t have the words to say. Nothing he could tell Arya would make it alright. Her father had died. _Ned Stark_ was dead.

Wordlessly, Arya met his eyes, as though feeling his gaze on her. She did not smile. She didn’t show him any signs of emotion. But she nodded.

He returned it.

Arya cleared her throat.

"I'm going to bed." She looked directly at Jon, her eyes wide.

Her brother raised his eyebrows, a concerned look filling his eyes. "You'll be alright?"

"I'll be fine." She looked at Gendry then, her eyes telling him what she wanted him to do. She wanted him to follow her. And he would. Wherever Arya goes so does Gendry.

She left then, and Gendry waited for a moment. He watched her heels turn on the way out of the door, his eyes remaining fixated on the spot where she had previously been. He set the mug of coffee down on the bench beside him.

Jon made eye contact with him and a look of understanding passed between the two of them. Jon would let him go. He would let him see his sister.

He trailed up the unfamiliar stairs, following Arya's shadow. His kept his hands in his pocket, trying to keep his feet as light as he could. Arya had always called him heavy footed. He had remembered that.

He allowed his eyes to scan the walls of Winterfell - all of which were lined with fresh, white paint. The occasional photo was scattered, and Gendry found his eyes drawn to them. He paused for a second, his eyes drawn to one of Arya and her father. They were both grinning, Arya looking up at him with mischief in her eyes. Gendry smiled, his face softening.

A door slammed shut ahead of him, and Gendry knew it was Arya. But he would take his time. He didn't want to push Arya.

His feet reached the top of the stairs and he stared straight ahead of him. The light was on in the room, and Gendry could see the shadow of footsteps underneath the crevice in the door. Arya's footsteps. He advanced towards it, his hand slowly turning the handle to the door.

After that, Gendry entered the room quickly, and shut the door behind him, resting against it while he watched Arya.

This was her _room._ He'd never been in it before. Aside from the bare necessities, only one thing caught his eye - The walls were lined with photographs. Ones that she'd stuck on hastily _as well as_ carefully _,_ so that wherever you looked, you saw some sort of memory. The few nearest to him were black and white, each containing an image of the people he knew were important to her. His fingers traced over one of himself and he swallowed thickly.

"Well don't just stand there, stupid." Arya spoke out behind him, her voice strong but quivering at the end.

Gendry turned to look at her, opening and closing his mouth clumsily. Eventually, he found his voice.

"This is..." He trailed off, blowing air into his cheeks.

A flush worked its way up Arya's cheeks but she ignored it. She kept her face still, her eyes lingering on the photo beside her bed. Gendry couldn't make out who it contained from where he was stood but he didn't need three guesses. A melancholy look flickered over her face but she quickly masked it. Still, Gendry felt his stomach drop in guilty agony. He shouldn't blame himself. He knew he shouldn't. He _couldn't._ This was about Arya - it was her loss. He couldn’t make it about himself. Even so, he knew that if Gendry's willpower had just been a little bit stronger, Ned Stark wouldn't be dead. They wouldn't have even visited the Red Keep.

"Arya..." He voice was soft, his throat cracked. In two long strides, Gendry was by her side, encasing her tiny frame in his arms. She allowed the tears to fall then, her body wracking with sobs. Tears fell on his shirt, but Gendry ignored them, choosing to bury his hands and face in her hair, whispering words of comfort.

He would say he understood, but he didn't. He may have grown up without a father, but he knew that couldn't possibly compare with losing one.

Gendry drew Arya over to the bed, perching precariously on the edge of it for a moment. He heard her murmur a thank you somewhere in between breaths, and in return Gendry only pulled her in tighter.

Slowly, her cries stopped, and when they did, Arya looked directly at him, her eyes raw and the tip of her nose red. She gave him a look that was somewhere between embarrassment and somehow naivety, and Gendry knew then just how unusual this was. She was Arya Stark. She didn't just cry in front of anyone. Which meant Gendry was someone. Gendry was special to her.

He knew that now.

"Maybe you should go to sleep." He kept his voice low, and quiet. But soft enough not to tempt her into anger.

With a bite of the lip, she nodded, untangling herself from him. Gendry looked away from her, keeping his eyes fixated on the floor as she changed behind him and slipped into the bed, pulling the covers up to her face.

She kicked him with her feet.

"Stay." Arya frowned slightly, "Please."

Gendry nodded, unable to say no, despite her elder _and very protective_ brother downstairs.

She patted the space on the bed beside her, with a child-like smile, and he obliged, stretching his legs out until his toes reached the end of the bed. Arya scooted closer to him, wrapping a small arm around his chest.

He smiled fondly, the warmth of her tiny body comforting to him. They lay in silence - Arya under the covers while Gendry chose to stay on top of them. He would stay, but he wouldn’t sleep. He couldn’t.

Arya stirred beside him.

“Do you ever wonder what might have happened if we’d have stayed in Kingslanding? That first night.” She fumbled nervously with the necklace she had named Needle.

Gendry paused in thought for a moment, reaching to place an arm around her shoulders in comfort.

“They’d have found us,” He said, a reassuring tone to his voice. “They knew we were friends. Theon would have...”

Arya sighed. “They wouldn’t have taken us though.”

“No?” Gendry turned his head to look at her, an eyebrow raised.

“No,” She grinned. “Hot Pie would have protected me.”

Gendry let out a hearty laugh at that, while Arya smirked beside him. “That he would,” He nodded in agreement.

His smile fading now, Arya stared directly at him. The sadness traced the whiteness of her eyes, and she bit her lip as she always did.

Gendry’s face softened.

“Listen Arya...” He wanted to give her this. He wanted to give her these words of comfort. “I know that your father... He... But I promise this will turn out okay. This is the worst it gets. I promise. Bran and Rickon are fine - they’re with your mum. And Robb will turn up with Sansa’s hand in his right and Greyjoy’s balls in his left.”

Arya let out a snort, looking gratefully at him.

“I know. _I know_ , it doesn’t make this any easier. But you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. It’ll be fine.” He finished lamely, but forced himself to keep his gaze locked on Arya. He wanted her to know he meant it. It wasn’t just words to him.

He expected her to laugh at him. Or punch his shoulder and call him stupid. But she did neither. Instead, she scooted closer to him, pressing her lips against his softly. He was hesitant at first, not wanting to avoid the topic in a way Arya usually would. But if this was what she wanted, then Gendry would give it to her.

He leaned towards her, ravelling one hand in her hair, while the other clasped around her waist, tugging her towards him gently. She deepened the kiss, her hands tugging on the hair at the nape of his neck. Gendry could feel the tears on her face against his cheeks, and he pulled away from her lips, kissing each one individually. 

The kiss became hungrier suddenly, and Arya made to pull the bed sheets over Gendry as well. He obliged, entwining his feet in hers. And then Arya’s hands were tugging at the hem of his shirt, pulling it from his torso in one swift movement. He stilled for a moment, as she clambered on top of him, seemingly knowing what she was doing, even though Gendry knew she didn’t. Not really.

“Arya.” He managed to breathe out her name in between kisses.

And oh, the kisses. The feel of her nimble hands as they made their way down his chest. The way her lips were mutually soft and desperate as they fought with his.

She straddled him, her hands attempting to undo the belt at the top of his trousers.

No. _No._

He couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t do this.

With a steel in his eyes, he placed his hands firmly around hers, halting her in her place. Suddenly, there was an unforgiving fire in her eyes that told him she knew where he was heading.

“We can’t.” He managed weakly, his grip on her loosening slightly.

Arya bit her lip, looking innocent all of a sudden.

“I won’t.” He said more firmly, trying to gauge her attention.

She looked hesitant for a moment, her eyes filling with tears again. But Gendry wouldn’t feel guilty. He _couldn’t._

And then she was gone. Removing herself from atop him, she lay beside him with a sigh, facing away.

“Arya.” He touched her back gently.

No response.

“Arya-”

**“Arya!”**

His voice sounded simultaneously with the voice outside, and she turned around immediately.

The voice got closer to the door, and Gendry saw Ygritte enter the room with a hand over her eyes. “Shout if you’re naked-“

He felt himself blush, and Arya jumped from the bed in lightning speed.

“Ygritte!” Gendry recognised the annoyance in her voice.

The Wildling woman removed the hand from her eyes. “Oh.” She sounded almost disappointed. Her eyes flickered to Gendry quickly, and he could have sworn he saw her smirk. She refocused her attention back on Arya. “Jon wanted to check if you were okay.”

Arya shrugged. “I’m fine.”

An awkward silence ensued, and Gendry was unsure as to how exactly she was keeping her cool.

He made eye contact with Arya quickly, then risking a glance at Ygritte. She winked at him.

“Okay!” The red-haired girl rushed to leave the room, poking her head around the door as she did. “If you need anything, just shout.”

The door slammed and she was gone.

“Would you leave please, I want to sleep.” Arya kept her voice calm, which was unnerving to Gendry. Her eyes remained on the recently closed door.

“Arya, you know we can’t- I won’t take advantage of you. I’m sorry-” His protests were in vain.

He recognised the anger flare in her eyes. “Just fucking leave!”

Silence followed her words, and Gendry didn’t bother trying to argue back. He had nothing to say as he pushed the bed sheets off of him, and re-dressed, while Arya glared at him.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” He grunted, without a second glance back at her.

 

* * *

 "So what happened last night then?” Ygritte had managed to corner Gendry in to the back of the kitchen, away from the house’s ears.  

Gendry felt himself flush. “Nothing.”

The Wildling raised an eyebrow.

He frowned. “ _Nothing._ ” If only he’d had more guts, he would have told her to mind her own business. But Gendry knew he wasn’t that sort of person. He also knew Ygritte didn’t meaning anything malicious by her interrogations.

They were interrupted by an annoyed growl entering the room. Ygritte stood away from Gendry, finding herself face to face with Jon, whose face was red with frustration.

“What is it?” She asked him.

Gendry kept quiet, remaining curiously alert in the background.

“The stupid, careless, idiotic, little piece of -” He was cut off when Ygritte slapped him on the cheek lightly. Gendry couldn’t help himself but smirk.

Jon groaned, and placed the newspaper which Gendry had not seen him enter with down onto the table.

“There.” He pointed at the page, at something Gendry could not see.

Ygritte moved forwards slightly, flattening out the newspaper in her hands. He heard her curse under her breath several times, before slamming her palms on to the table. “After everything - And now this!”

Gendry stepped forward, peering over Jon’s shoulder. “What is it?”

Jon looked at him then, appearing to notice him for the first time. He said nothing, and Gendry felt scrutinized under his gaze.

“What?”

Jon ran his hands through his hair wildly. He kept his eyes on Gendry. He wasn’t looking at him. Not really. He was lost, deep in thought.“Who’s going to tell Arya?”

Gendry frowned, his voice becoming suspicious. “Tell her what?”

Jon looked hesitant, and then began to fold the newspaper in his hands as he spoke. “Robb’s been arrested.”


End file.
